Private Curse or Cure

[Damsy Callat]

I'm not senseless
I won't separate this heart
To make it what you want
~ ~ ~​

Hanna City was alive with all the active airs of sophistication, save one. There was at least one Sithspawn besides her walking these pristine streets, which in and of itself was not to issue between Damsy’s nervously clasped hands. It was instead the reality that, if they were found out, Chandrila’s capital would quickly be white no longer.

It was the greatest irony to her that the greatest victims of the Sith couldn’t find sanctuary in the civilized walls fervently protected by the Jedi.

In her quest to right that cosmic injustice, she found herself once more in the Core. No one seemed to know the Mind Killer of Coruscant here, but, even if they did, she found it easy enough to blend in whilst in plain sight. She had done so constantly in and around the Temple grounds while trying to convince others she wasn’t tainted by the Dark Side and herself she could be a Jedi if only she kept herself in a spiritual stranglehold.

Bury Presence had become as familiar as a lover, but had a cold and unwelcome touch. Still, she embraced it even more, drawing it around her like a cloak over her fancy dress picked for the occasion. It encouraged her to reach out for her hot latte over the table that she sat at and take a sip.

As she lowered the delicate cup’s rim, she noticed a redheaded Chandrilan man enter the storefront plaza from the leftmost pathway. With his traditional robes, he didn’t stand out, except for his monochromatically white eyes. He used a cane of intricately carved wood to find his way through the somewhat busy section of street, periodically bracing himself gingerly on his countrymen’s shoulders when he was thrown off-balance for some reason.

Damsy took her eyes off the scene for a moment, fished around in her purse, and set a small collection of credit bars on the table. She then got up and walked out from under the cafe’s outdoor seating awning. A short glance confirmed the man was taking a right handed egress. So would she.

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Glitterstim Original
Equipment: Lightsaber [hidden]
Location: Hanna City, Chandrila
Tag: Damsy Callat


With all that had been going on, Brandyn was happy for just to kick back and relax for a moment. There was a small pang of guilt that Cybelle was not doing the same, but if there was anything that he had learned about her since they had reconnected it was that she never rested when there was some duty to fulfill. Brandyn found himself relaxed as much as he could. His plate cleaned of nearly every scrap of food the measly portion had afforded him.

His dark charcoal coloured attire, silver trim and all, made for an odd clash against the lighter tones of the Chandrilan people. It was certainly in keeping with the quality and price tag of the locals, just not the light and breezy tendency. He had finally broken away from solely wearing basic Jedi robes and begun expressing a little more individuality in his attire. He had made quite the change from basic brown, rough cut robes, to a custom outfit from one of his father's stores.

He had fallen to people watching amongst the hustle and bustle of the busy plaza. There was a small family, father trying to not be annoyed at his small kids, that were trying to get through lunch without divorcing one another. An elderly couple were enjoying a cup of tea over their novels. And a young woman who, Brandyn instinctively noticed, was also people watching and now standing. He followed her eye line to see who, from the back, appeared to be a fairly run of the mill older gent.

A year of undercover work had taught him when someone was tailing another. His curiosity was piqued. Surely, he could loosely follow and not draw attention. A good chance to test his skills.

"You really should just stay out of it, Brandyn," he said to himself quietly.

Of course, he ignored his better judgment.

​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Damsy did her best to stay at least one corner behind the man. As he led her through side streets and alleyways, she would stay behind a wall, pending to be interested in something that wasn’t his whereabouts, at the end of one path, watch and wait until he moved onto the next way, then repeat.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Finally, when they had collectively reached the marina district, he ducked into a dark alcove. Damsy abandoned her pattern, gave a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching her, and then followed after him.

”Hedsard—“

A hand clamped over her mouth before attached arms pulled her deeper into the shadows.

They turned red. Her blood boiled. She wanted free. She wanted to lash out like the siren, the Sith she was. Her hands fisted at her side, knuckles turning white as she exercised a modicum of self-control.

“Subtlety is lost on you, Callat,” he muttered into her ear.

It often was. That wasn’t really her turf, but in this case, what did he mean?

<I ain’t come all this way to ‘urt ya,> she replied, resorting to telepathy.

Hedsard’s hand tightened over Damsy’s skin. Anger along with pressure pinched down. She screwed closed her eyes and took a deeper breath through her nose—for a fresh supply of good sense over oxygen, though the second was also welcome.

Once she had cleared her mind, she was able to remember that he had not spoken like this during the holomeeting that they had had before setting up this extraction. Of course, these could be his true feelings but…something also might have happened to him between then and now to significantly alter his behavior.

But what?

Changelings were naturally resistant to any form of brainwashing, so it was unlikely that even if his previous Sith overlords had found him, they would have twisted his fantasy of true freedom. That was good on one hand. On the other, she wouldn’t be able to console him through the Force either, nor probably by more mundane means.

Quite the pickle.

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Glitterstim Original
Equipment: Lightsaber [hidden]
Location: Hanna City, Chandrila
Tag: Damsy Callat


To say that his protective mode had been engaged was an understatement. Brandyn had entered near full on intrusive hero mode, and he was injecting himself into the story of these two as quickly as possible. It did not look good at all, not at first glance, and as such he stepped from behind his safe vantage point from which he could have just watched cautiously.

Saber hilt detached and flew to hand, igniting the moment both hands wrapped around the cylinder. The green of blade shone of his face as he held it completely vertical, and just to right as he cautiously stepped towards the troubled pair.

"Unhand her this instant," Brandyn said, he stepped one foot slowly in front of another.

His approach halted a good ten metres or so from the pair.

"Your conversation can continue without the need of physical assault...stand down, my friend...and let's end this day peacefully."

Just briefly, he made eye contact with the victim, trying to insure she was not going to do anything rash.

​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Damsy’s eyes widened under the light of the green plasma.

”Ah,” Hedsard began, grip on the half-Shi‘ido only tightening, “this must be one of your Jedi friends. I knew it! You still work with them.“

She began to squirm as if she knew what was next.

”Some Darth.”

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Glitterstim Original
Equipment: Lightsaber [hidden]
Location: Hanna City, Chandrila
Tag: Damsy Callat


Brandyn paused his approach. Readying himself in a stance prepared for defense first, he narrowed his eyes. "I come of my own accord, sir," he said in unsolicited response to the man's words.

Some Darth?

Nervously, he glanced behind himself, taking a step back as he did.

"What do you mean...Darth?"

​

 

[Damsy Callat]

<See, man?> Damsy telepathed to Hedsard. <He don’t know—!>

”This one,” he told Brandyn. “She’s Sith.“ Yeah, but not that kind. Now who was subtlety lost on? “Kill her if you want, son.”

What now?

A slight change of plans seemed in order.

She reached out to Brandyn’s mind. <I’m only tryin’ ta ‘elp ‘im,> she pleaded, not lying but also not addressing the obvious question he might well have.

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

It was exceedingly difficult to figure out what was happening, and who was telling the truth. All Brandyn knew was that as long as the woman was held captive as she was now, it could all end very badly indeed.

<Play along with me. Reverse psychology.> He said through the Force towards the woman.

Standing straighter, Brandyn put on the show of a hero. It was a stance that he had practiced in front of a mirror many a time, though he would never admit as much.

"As sworn adversaries of the Sith...good sir...it is my obligation to take her into custody. Please relinquish the prisoner...and I will insure she sees justice."

Damsy Callat​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Hedsard shook his head. "This schutta doesn't deserve justice. Even if she did, you wouldn't give it to her."

Brandyn would hear a mental scoff. <Nice try. My turn.>

Suddenly, muffled sputtering sounded from behind Hedsard's hand. A paler color began to overtake Damsy's facial features, slowly but surely. On instinct, he pulled his hand from Damsy's face, causing her to careen towards the ground. By the time she hit the asphalt, he was halfway down the pier, robes flowing behind him as he ran.

The Siren rolled over onto her back to take a gasping breath through her mouth. Oxygen returned to her lungs just as color came back into her face. "Damn," she panted out.

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Eyes widening at the sight before him, Brandyn took half a step backward before baring down mentally and approaching the unfolding drama. Stooping down, he offered a hand. "Are you alright?" He said. His lit blade was still in hand, unsure on how this situation was to play out.

Brandyn hesitated, knowing he needed to go after the assailant, but now curious as to the claim he made. If she was Sith, he was still in the wrong, but she was indeed rather dangerous to be left alone.

Damsy Callat

 

[Damsy Callat]

"Great," she started, glancing up at him. "Choking yourself does wonders for the lungs, ain't you 'eard?"

She looked down at his hand then—a mental glimpse of taking it, then sending an electrical current through him—scooted backwards and averted her eyes.

Calm down Syreni. Slow the breath. Return the gaze.

Peace is a lie. Accept your fear. Swallow the hesitation. Speak your mind.

Take the leap.

"He's right, y'know," she continued. "Ya can't give me justice." She began to stand, supporting an ascent with a hand braced in front of her. The other she kept at her side, open-palm midair. "I tried findin' that at the Temple. But Ashla ain't what I need, it's the wellbein' of people like me. If the Jedi ain't willin' ta be that kinda savior, well then, it up ta me."

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Stepping back with an expression that said 'come again', Brandyn listened to the sudden deluge of vague backstory that left him both curious and awkward. His eyes flicked again up to see if he could spot the run away, but they were gone from sight. It was all about the 'Sith' for now.

"I think we are talking about different types of justice," Brandyn said calmly. Eyes narrowed as he contemplated her words. Surely, she had approached the Jedi in such a way that made their helping her near impossible. The fact that she was likely a difficult customer to deal with, and not willing to go along with the advice and wisdom of the Jedi...it made him...cautious.

"The Light side is what everyone needs...I am sure if you had approached it...properly...you would have received the assistance your...people would need," he said before his head twitched, "people...like....you?"

| Damsy Callat |​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Both hands were up once she had gotten to her feet. She listened to him in silence, but not stillness, as she straightened her spine further, tilted her head from side to side.

"Yeah? Well, then, you educate me 'fore I educate you."

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Brandyn found himself instinctively scratching his head. "I...don't...think it works like that. I will take time...and frankly...you sound more keen on giving me the education than vice versa."

If it had not been clear to him already, it was now abundantly so. This was not going well.

"Who was that man? He seemed...a tad unstable..."

Not that she seemed much better.

| Damsy Callat |​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Syreni wanted to argue, but just for the sake of arguing. Nothing this Jedi had just said was wrong. She was keen and a tad unstable was a way of putting it.

Better to try to get ahead of his imagination before it washed him away.

"He no Sith," she began, "but he is Spawn. Not that you'd believe me, but he's not mine." She put her hands down. The gesture was only making her arms hurt, not making her less of a threat to him. "I'm someone else's. It ain't a great existence, so I don't Alchemize for fun. I save Spawn from those who do."

She quickly inclined her chin in his direction. "Now, ya tell me yours."

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

"Sith alchemy?" Brandyn said, not particularly feeling comfortable with this revelation. He also didn't really know enough about it to truly understand why his hair stood up on the back of his neck when it was revealed.

"So you save...people that are victims of Sith alchemy? What do you do with them?"

He very clearly avoided her questions. It was not for lack of things to tell, but more for his own mind now racing to pick on this new knowledge...as forbidden as it might be to a Jedi.

Damsy Callat

 

[Damsy Callat]

She rolled her eyes, and shifted her weight from hip to leg and back, but neither at his avoidance. It was annoying, surely, but she was more peeved with herself at the moment.

Great, you breakin’ the poor kid.

She couldn’t not answer him. She didn’t need Mind Reading to tell that he had many questions. For them, she saw a glimpse of her Padawan self in him, striving secretly for knowledge of Bogan and His followers. Except, then, to a degree, she embodied it; he would exterminate it. Such a predictable shame.

"They been twisted 'nough by the unfettered Darkness. Where they go, what I do, I twist them no further. I teach Sithspawn to control their anger so they ain’t consumed by it.“

She couldn’t stop there. She opened her hands, just a bit, in a pleading gesture.

”Believe me or don’t—’s’up to you—“ she canted her head towards the exit out of the alleyway, “—but right now, he real angry at somethin’ and sure as ‘ell ain’t controllin’ that chit.”

Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Intrigued was an understatement. But Brandyn was also aware that this conversation was happening of a shortish distance and in a busy alley way. He had questions a plenty, but mind enough not to ask them here. She was a dark-sider that taught other dark-sider's to control their anger? Was that even the dark side anymore? What does it actually mean to be twisted by the darkness?

His lightsaber turned off. Finally.

His body seemed to relax, even if it was in spite of his training.

"We had better get your friend," he finally said, avoiding all questions that rattled about his mind.

Pushing along in the hustle and bustle of the foot traffic, Brandyn pushed his mind out beyond their location to seek for a worried and troubled soul.

 

[Damsy Callat]

And Damsy put down her hands. Great, they were finally getting back to the real, pressing issue. She followed after the Jedi, letting her concern melt away into the crowd. It was just dormant for now, she realized, but she would surely relish her freedom from it for as long as she could.

It would not be hard for Brandyn to find Hedsard; he hadn't gone far for as long as they had been borderline professing. In fact, he was only across the plaza, over one busy street, and tucked into another branching alleyway.

Before Brandyn entered the alley, Damsy found a burst of speed to get out in front of him, blocking his way. "What are ya gonna do to him?"

Brandyn Sal-Soren