Desert Is Not An Option [Darth Drethi]

[Lief]

A knock at the door forced a snarl from his lips, his attention torn from the quivering mess of a girl to whomever had decided to interrupt him so early in the morning. Stepping away from the girl, with a motion that expressed a need for her to dress and leave lest she suffer the consequences, Eliron approached the door and pulled it open just a crack. He was fully dressed, despite the fact that the girl had been anything but, which meant that the second he heard the girl rush into the fresher he pulled the door open completely and stared at the servant on the other side.

"What do you want?" he leered, nostrils flaring slightly with indignation. By now the auburn beauty who had willingly crumpled at his feet would be long gone, leaving him with nothing to take his frustrations out on. After all, the staff were protected by his mother's frail heart; harming them would cause her disappointment, and that wasn't something he could abide. No doubt if it ever did come to such he would rationalize it was their own doing, but mother would likely see past that. Thus he had to suppress his temper, he could find another to lure into his room later on.

"Your Father is expecting visitors, My Lord" came the half-wits response, and Eliron rolled his eyes. "No doubt he expects me to take his place. Why can't you bother my sister with such matters for once?" She was, after all, the heir to the estate and in turn their little County. Without bothering to wait for a reply from the fool he stormed past him, knocking shoulders in a careless fashion, and swiftly descended the main staircase. Each step had his black mood lift until it was all contained behind a more pleasant and composed air.

In the dining room his mother waited. Walking over to her Eliron smiled and touched her cheek. "Good morning, Mother dearest" he said, staring at her intently. "How is Father today?" The woman smiled and fussed with his hair, then straightened his collar, causing Eliron's jaw to subtly tense. She still treated him like a boy, and it irked him. It was so chiding. He reached for her wrist and gently pried her fingers away from him, the gesture was firm yet gentle, a simple reminder of his age. He would not be regarded as a child.

"Oh El', he's simply not been feeling like himself" she said, which was his Mother's way of saying that he didn't feel like tending to guests today. It was always the same excuse, but he couldn't fault her for it. She was simply doing right by her husband. He may not have liked the arrangement, but he was their son and it was his duty. Besides, his mother was one of the few people in the Galaxy he had even a shred of care towards. "Well I hope he isn't running you ragged" he quipped with a soft smile, before kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry" he added, reaching out to swipe a piece of toast from the table, "I'll take care of any guests we might have today." It was best he acted as if he hadn't already been informed of the fact that this duty was his, or else his mother might get upset. She did prefer it when her children volunteered to do things, after all. "Such a good boy" she remarked, patting his hand with a faraway look in her eye. Then, following a slow sigh, she seemed to remember that he was there and smiled. "Well, I'll get out from under your feet then." With that the woman was gone, leaving Eliron to his bitter thoughts.

What he would have given to spend the day locked away in his room with naught save a willing girl at his feet. But lo, Elinor was never around when it was convenient to be. Some heir she was!

 

[Lassiter]

Silence. Peace. Quiet. A calm before the storm.

Sena had long since grown used to the near-nomadic life in her duties as the Sword of Vahl. Every week was the same. Place to place, person to person and the tasks laid out for her just kept on rolling. One day Sena would be at Atrisia finding the stragglers who strayed from the goddess, the other she would be recruiting selected individuals hand picked by the coven of high priestesses.

It was grating enough work to kill for a living.

Recently the word had reached them about the family Arwood, a rich family based off of Naboo. Sena could just imagine them already. Snot-nosed and uptight. A family not much unlike the one she had been denied from birth. At least from what her sister had told her. Did Corellia even have duchies? Was Sena actually the last remaining heir to a title she didn’t really care for? Possibly, all that remained was to have Velda show up and claim that title for herself and the burden of not knowing would be lifted from the Sword’s back.

Her ship touched down. Sena’s instructions were to contact the family and let them co-operate, should they so desire. The person in question was not only one of the strays, but a stray sacrifice at that. The goddess had called for blood, this person’s blood, and they had refused it. What this meant was that despite the urge to just call it a collateral in her report, the priestesses were without doubt going to have objections about it.

Raising her gloved hand she let the other rest behind the straightened back of her leather jacket as she knocked on the door. By all means she could pass as a simple smuggler or even a simple commoner, but it was all part of the disguise. Hidden in plain sight and out of minds. Sena liked it that way, it was safer.

The door opened.

“Animal services, may I step inside?”

The servant nodded and Sena certainly stepped inside.

“Is the man of the house at home? This is a very delicate matter I am afraid.”

 

[Lief]

He remained stood there until he heard a commotion by the main entrance. Remembering the piece of toast he had snatched from his Mother's breakfast table, Eliron strode back through the hall, making quick work of the buttery slice. Making sure not even a crumb remained on him as he checked a mirror, Eliron then peered past the servant who was welcoming a stranger into their home and frowned ever so slightly.

But in an instance the frown was gone, and Eliron the Lordling took the reins.

"Ah, My Lady" he began, shooing off the servant with little more than a glance, "I trust you are here to see Lord Arwood?" Waiting for the woman to be nicely in the hallway, he then proceeded to shut the door behind her and offered a light smile of welcome. "I'm afraid my Lord Father is frightfully indisposed right now, however if you'll just come with me I'm sure you'll find me more than suitable to tend to your needs."

This was not the first time he had been lumped with random visitors from across the Galaxy meant for his Father, and it definitely would not be the last.

Directing her through into a parlor, should she be willing to follow him of course, Eliron would offer her a seat, before finally turning back to business. "What can I do for you, Miss..?" He did not know the name of this woman, infact her identity had not been spoken of at all that morning by servant or Mother. Now that was an unheard of occurrence.

[member="Darth Drethi"]

 

[Lassiter]

There was no response from Sena, not at first. She was indeed here to see the Lord Arwood who turned out to be indisposed. At first she was concerned her attempts at a more peaceful solution had been ruined before they begun. She was instructed to speak only to the lord of the house. This was not the lord of the house, this was his son which was reason enough for the girl to get suspicious. She gave the young man a lookover as if measuring him for something. Was he trustworthy enough for this? It may have seemed like an odd thing to even consider, but family was an alien concept to her. The mere idea of “he is my father” or “please, no, I beg you, she is my sister, please no, choose me instead” didn’t really exist to her simply because she hadn’t ever had anything like that. Sena had her friend, she had her master and she had the goddess Vahl. She didn’t need much else than that.

Still, having been lead down the hallway by the Lord’s son she soon found herself inside of a parlor. She didn’t take a seat, nor did she really care for it as the man asked her for her name. It was understandable disposition. Sena’s name hadn’t been known to the servants or even his mother because there simply hadn’t ever been a name for the messengers to pass their way. The only indication that the Ember was coming to visit was that the mention of a ‘Sword’ would be coming their way. The rest had been left for the imagination of House Arwood.

“I am Rann. Rachel Rann.” Said Sena Lassiter. “I've come to discuss a problem I’m having with a few runaways.”

She approached the grand windows for a moment to truly take in the sights of Naboo. It wasn’t too different from where she came from according to what her sister had told her. Corellia had -- apparently -- had its fair share of beauty too. Then the Akala Crisis happened. Sena shook of the melancholy of not knowing what the past was like and let her mind return to present day.

“Actually, I lie.” Sena spoke as she turned around to look at the man. “If anything you could call them deserters. Members of my order who saw it fit to run away and pretend they didn’t have a duty to fulfill.”

“Do you know what it is that I am talking about?”

[member="Eliron Arwood"]

 

[Lief]

The woman did not sit, but that didn't phase him. He too remained standing, if only to make her feel a little more at ease - it wouldn't do for him to sit while she stood. He had learned proper manners from both of his parents, and even the horrors he had experienced hadn't wiped such clean. She spoke her name, providing the surname first, and he made a note of both. Not that he really cared for it, but Father would ask questions later.

Sometimes Eli didn't understand why his Father didn't just see to these things himself, if he was so concerned.

"My Lady, Raan; I'm Raoul."

It was only right to give his name back, though it wasn't the name given by his parents.

She spoke of Runaways, nay Deserters, and his lips pursed slightly. It would not do to have such ilk among his Household... His Father's Household. Did she presume that such were here?

"Deserters, you say? I daresay I hope that they are not within this estate. I cannot abide craven."

His actions had not been out of cowardice, but a will to survive. And besides, he had never pledged himself to those Witches. They had enslaved him. It was entirely different.

"Well, My Lady, you're welcome to check for any sign of them. Come to think of it, we did get two new farmhands recently." He pondered it for a moment; what would Father say? More to the point, what would Mother say?

Thankfully they hadn't been paid yet, or else their estate would be slightly out of pocket. If it was them at all. Naboo was a large place.

The Galaxy, larger.

[member="Lassiter"]

 

[Lassiter]

[member="Eliron Raoul Arwood"]

Lying made life as a divine littler murderess easier. When the runaways heard the name ‘Darth Drethi’ or ‘Sena Lassiter’ they had a tendency to slip right through her fingers. As much as Sena could have given her real name she just as much didn’t want to end up in the daily news over acts that she had committed. Deserting was a crime punishable by death. Those who defied the will of the goddess had come to expect little else. People still insisted on running away, only to find that the pain caused by their sacrificial rituals were nothing compared to the sadistic, lingering torture that they had to endure at the hands of the Sword before being handed back to the priestesses again.

Sena grimaced as she nodded in Lord Arwood’s direction. She cared little in the way of being allowed to search the house or not. It was going to happen either way. Being granted the permission to look merely made everything a whole lot easier for all parties involved. Mind control, clever disguises and using her looks to her benefit had that way with people. Anything to satiate the whispers in her mind.

“You are too kind, my lord.” Sena bowed in gratitude. “If these farmhands are indeed the people I seek, my order will remain grateful of the help you have provided.” She rose up from her bow. “I would be in your debt, and I always repay debts and favors once owed.”

Pleasantries aside. Sena looked out the window again. “Where do these... Farmhands live? I am anxious to see them returned home safely.”