Dirt and Silence: Behelian Canyon (Open to all)

[Sage Bane]

OPEN TO ALL NETHERED (ODD NUMBERS)​

​

Location: Behelian Canyon, Netherworld​

Sage Bane was one of the lost. Disoriented and stripped of his Force powers, the young near human was roaming aimlessly around a dusty canyon, surrounded by piles of bony remains, with no Holomap to guide his way. The good news was, he had his twin sister Sayl with him, and he could see his boyfriend, Baelfire Lenasin off in the distance. The was bad news was, an angry Zabrak woman had bumrushed him and was now beating him senseless and he couldn't even use the Force to stop her.

"Got anything you feel like saying for yourself pateesa?" she asked him, lobbing a thick projectile of spit at him.

"Bonph kanway, woman!" Sage exclaimed, sidestepping away from her. "Don't you have more important things to worry about right now than a glit-biter who didn't show up for a date?" he asked incredulously.

With daggers in his eyes, Sage rubbed his jaw where Zenva had decked him. Maybe this was hell, and it was full of all of the women you scorned. Force knew there had been too many to count.

[member="The Cartographer"] [member="Sayl Bane"] [member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

Spoiler

Sorry guys. I had to take this out of the main thread. It was getting too confusing in there for me.

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

"More important! More karking important!" Zenva Vrotoa, former soldier of fortune, yelled in anger. A distant, logical portion of her mind tried to point out that Sage was right. Figuring out where she was and how to get back to her ship was more important than fighting with him. Her pride however, didn't see things that way. Her pride wouldn't see past the insult of sitting in a restaurant, wearing a dress more expensive than her private arsenal, drinking wine by himself.

"Alright Bane, let's talk about more important. Like me saving your sorry arse on Nar Shaddaa. I didn't have to get you off that mud ball, but I did it anyway. Or how about my important damned meeting with the president of The Red Ravens. You remember? The one you interrupted to ask me to dinner!" Zenva stalked after the young half Chiss. Her hands flexing into fists subconsciously. "You don't get to tell me what is important, Bane! You made a fool of me. Count yourself lucky I don't add your bones to the collection in this gods forsaken canyon."

[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="Sayl Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]


((Thank you Sage. Much easier to follow everyone's posts this way )

 

[Sayl Bane]

"Do yourself a favor. Develop a better taste in men." At first, a solitary blink was all Sayl had to say in response to that statement. Then it dawned on her that this woman assumed them to be a couple, instead of siblings. That was a first. For a moment she only observed the ensuing conflict, not doing much of anything to intervene. This wasn't the first time her brother had dug himself a hole he couldn't get out of, and it likely wouldn't be the last. Had she traded places with the Zabrak woman, she likely would have been doing the same. Sometimes people just needed to learn the hard way to get a point across. Sage just happened to be one of them.

But he was her twin, and she wasn't going to let him continue taking a beating without at least attempting to smooth things over, even temporarily. Once was enough, but twice and things were liable to escalate to violence on both sides. They had more important things to worry about than a missed date. "I get that he ticked you off. Trust me, he has a way of doing that to people. But we've got better things to worry about than someone being stood up. You can keep doing this later, when we aren't stuck here." There was a momentary pause. "And as for developing a better taste in men, it isn't like I asked to be his twin sister. He's just stuck with me, and likewise."

Glancing between the two of them, she flashed a half smile. "It's not one of the most stupid things you've done, Sage, but it ranks up there."

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"], [member="Sage Bane"], [member="The Cartographer"]

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage stood before Zenva and gave the frothing woman his best apologetic smile. "Look, Zenva, I'm truly sorry that I stood you up. But who could blame me? You didn't seriously think I was going to date a woman who was hunting me for a bounty, did you? And since you seem to have a selective memory, let me remind you that you hardly 'saved' me on Nar Shaddaa. I was your payload, and I weasled my way out of it, without your help I might add."

He turned towards Sayl, and flashed her an irritated glance. "Don't you start in on me now, Sixer. Can we all focus less on Sage Bane's dating faux pas and more on how we're going to get out of this blasted place?" He tentatively kicked a pile of bones with the toe of his boot. Some of the remains looked crisp and freshly bleached. Others were covered with the dust of the ages. Raising his head for a moment, Sage was confused. Did the horizon line suddenly move? It seemed like it did. He walked a few paces and then stopped, whirling around. Was his imagination playing tricks on him or did horizon line move again?

The sensation was incredibly disorienting. So disorienting, Sage thought that he might need to sit down. Unsteady on his feet he made his way down to his hands and knees where he began to aimlessly crawl around in the dust. As if an invisible thread was pulling him towards the nearest pile of bones, he moved slowly towards it. Perhaps he would just lie right down there in the heap of bones until he got his bearings. It seemed like the perfect place for a respite.

[member="Sayl Bane"] [member="Zenva Vrotoa"] [member="The Cartographer"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva spared a glance for the young woman. A slow smile spread across the Zabrak's face, all bright sharp teeth. "You must be where he got his pretty face. My condolences on your poor selection of siblings."

She turned back to Sage, mere inches between them. Her body was tense, coiled and ready to lash out at him again. By the gods she wanted him to say something stupid or slick in an attempt to worm away from her anger. Somewhere between his third and fourth sentence however, Zenva's head jerked back. Her eyes widening in shock as though he had just slapped her. She didn't hear what else he said, her mind continued to loop his question over and over.

'You didn't seriously think I was going to date a woman who was hunting me for a bounty, did you?'

Zenva took a step away from the half Chiss. Her breath caught in a choked gasp as she struggled to find words, "I..." The whole thing had been an act. Every flirtation, every compliment, all of it. He had played her for a fool on a level she hadn't even comprehended. Finally her attention snapped back to reality. Sage was crawling around on the ground. When at last Zenva found her voice it was soft, devoid of the anger that had been fueling her, "Go to hell, Sage."

The Zabrak turned her back on the young man, put a few more steps between them and began scanning the cliff face again. Her gaze stayed fixed on some far off point, still her voice was flat, emotionless, "As you wear no wedding band I'll assume you share your brothers' name, my Lady Bane. Might I borrow you for a moment? I believe I have some idea as to where we are."

[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="Sayl Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

Well, this wasn't the strangest thing Baelfire had ever walked into. Though, he didn't enjoy watching his boyfriend getting thrown into the path of a furious woman's fists. He stepped up slightly behind [member="Sayl Bane"], slightly cradling his injured and roughly bandaged arm.​

​

"I hope I didn't miss anything too important," He said with a slight grin.​

​

[member="Sage Bane"]​

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]​

 

[Sayl Bane]

With no hesitation Sayl walked over to her brother, first snapping her fingers in front of his face to focus him, and then pulling him to his feet by the back of his shirt, dusting him off. "There's no karking way you're giving up that easily. C'mon, Sev. Or did you like your other nickname better?" Tough love was the name of the game, and with a twin like Sage she'd nearly perfected the art. Being slow and gentle with him was one way for strangers to go about things, and it was usually more effective for him. But she'd known him for the better part of her entire life, and as such didn't bother with the kind words and taking everything slowly. He might hate her for it, but he'd eventually get over it. Or at least, he usually did.

Now that the issue regarding her twin had been resolved, she turned her attention to the Zabrak woman, it not escaping her attention that her voice had grown more monotonous, almost resigned. Her brother would be answering for this one later, but for the moment she merely flashed a smile and nodded. "No problem. If you do have an idea of where we are, that'd be great. Besides keeping an eye on kike bayan here, that's the next priority." There were a few creative adjectives she could think of to describe the surrounding area as well, but she elected not to speak them aloud just yet.

When a male's voice spoke from behind her she started slightly and turned, blinking in recognition. It was none other than Baelfire Lenasin, better known to the greater galaxy as [member="The Cartographer"], and best known to her as her twin's boyfriend. "Besides Sage being an idiot like he usually is? No, you aren't late for any parties. Except for the one where we figure out just where the frell we are, but we're still working on that one. Long time no see."

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"], [member="Sage Bane"]

 

[Sage Bane]

When Sayl first tried to lift him up by the scruff of his collar, Sage balked. It was so peaceful and soothing down on the ruddy earth. Oddly, the bones felt like a sort of home. Sage wanted to crawl underneath the tangled piles of rib cages and femurs and bury himself in the remains. To let them cover him like a warm blanket until his own skin rotted off his corpse, and he became as white and bleached as the bones themselves. Still, his twin managed to yank him to his feet, and Sage was drawn from his reverie by not only her grip on his shirt, but also the sight of his lover, Baelfire Lenasin who had finally joined them.

Smiling broadly, he bounded forward and cradled the other man's face, planting a long, lingering kiss on his lips. Then he carefully embraced the Epicanthix, gingerly avoiding his injured arm. Over Bael's shouder, Sage shot Zenva a smug look, and then winked at her. It was a perfect example of the kind of nasty one-upmanship that the half-Chiss was particularly fond of.

If they got annoying enough, he was not above giving his sister a nice brotherly love tap right upside her face, but for now he ignored his sister's little digs at him. Sage had more important things on his agenda, like making sure his hurt boyfriend was alright. He examined Bael's arm with a frown. "Are you hurt, leeah?" he said, tsking. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?" Sage laughed and looked at Zenva again with a huge, satisfied smirk across his face.

[member="Sayl Bane"] [member="The Cartographer"] [member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva turned at the sound of a new voice. Her expression remained carefully neutral as the others interacted. The ridge above her left eye raised slightly when Sage smiled at her. "Have a care, baby Bane. Fix the bandage on his arm instead of acting like a toddler."

Zenva turned her attention to the golden eyed new comer. Her voice held all the quiet, disinterested professionalism of a seasoned mercenary. "Sir, if your injury is superficial then by all means, let Sage play doctor. Be aware however, there is no comm signal down here. That means no help is coming. So if that is serious, I would advise against letting an inexperienced person attend to it."

Her gaze turned back to Sayl, "As I was saying, my lady Bane. I realize where we are, at least in part. I have never seen this canyon before but it's function is rather self evident." One of Zenva's hands came up, gesturing to valley floor around them. "From wall to wall, this valley offers little in the way of protection or cover. Everything in it is forced to travel in one direction, either forward or back. All while picking your way over those that didn't survive." She paused, letting the others look around. "We are in a kill box. A very simple and natural one, but a kill box just the same. If you plan to survive, you need to get out of this valley."

Zenva turned away from the trio once more, her gaze set on to some far off point high on the cliffs. "Let me know when you see it."

[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="Sayl Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

He was about to respond to Sayl's greeting when Sage ambushed him. Bael embraced him and returned his kiss, gently wrapping both of his arms around his half-Chiss boyfriend. In the hours he had spent wandering about this desolate canyon, he had greatly grown to miss the companionship of living beings, most of all Sage.​

​

"It's alright, love. I cut myself on some metal when I fell into this place, that's all."​

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At the Zabrak woman's words, Bael gave her an amused grin.​

​

"I appreciate the concern. I happen to be a very well-practiced doctor, actually. My Sage can look at it as much as he likes. In fact..." He took off his homemade bandage for a moment to let Sage see the gash across his arm. "If you could be a dear and help me keep an eye on the color of the wound while we're here, that would be phenomenal. Since I don't have anything to use for proper sanitation, the best we can do to fight off infection is to keep it covered so that dirt and such can't get in it. But if an infection does sink in, it would be best to catch it early." ​

​

[member="Sage Bane"]​

[member="Sayl Bane"]​

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]​

 

[Sage Bane]

"Yes patessa, your Sage would be glad to look after your wound," Sage began, his arms wrapped around his boyfriend protectively, still watching for a reaction from Zenva. Suddenly his brown eyes were drawn to the same far point as the zabrak woman's. While the interior of the canyon was dead still, Sage noticed a spot between two of the skeletal effigies where oddly there were a few random blood stains on the ground and there was wind, blowing some of the dirt gently through the valley. The only wind in the whole canyon. It was possible that where there was wind, there was other life, and perhaps a way out.

Still fighting the inexplicable urge to lie down in the bones, he made his way over to the spot between the tall statues which flanked the canyon. There was a very narrow crevice between two of them, through which a human or near-human figure could fit. Just barely. Through a trick of the eye it was almost invisible unless you closely inspected it.

"I think I found it," Sage exclaimed, squeezing himself through the crevice that would hopefully take them out of the canyon.

[member="The Cartographer"] [member="Zenva Vrotoa"] [member="Sayl Bane"]

Spoiler

Sorry if I'm moving too fast. There's a rift in open in the Blood Wastes. Sage wants out

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

.

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

((So my response posted 3 times for some reason))

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Sage was ignored by virtue of Zenva's back being toward him. She had no intention of playing his childish little games. When Sage moved up to the crevice she had been looking at, Zenva couldn't help but smile to herself. Sage going into the opening first meant she wouldn't have to be heavy handed in getting his 'cooperation.'

She turned back to face the golden eyed new comer, "Your next, sir. If Sage is to keep an eye on your injury than you have to be near him." Zenva gestured to the crevice with one hand. "After you."

Zenva stood waiting with Sayl while the two men moved into the crevice. She turned to the younger women, drawing out her Orolanis Defense Systems Blaster Buster, checked the ammunition briefly and held the revolver's handle toward the woman. "Here. It only has four shots. It's very simple. Pull the hammer back, point and hold on for dear life. This thing has some serious kick. The smart munition targets recently fired blasters but in a pinch it still fires straight."

Zenva smiled down at the young woman, "Take it. Your next." Nodding toward the crevice.

[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="Sayl Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[Sage Bane]

Location: The Blood Waste​

Sage almost longed to be back in the bone-scattered canyon, for it was almost paradise compared the new place he stumbled into. Ahead of him lay a vast swamp of bubbling red liquid, and viscous fluids that looked suspiciously like blood. His face flushed and began to break out in a sweat from its scalding heat. Even worse, the crevasse of tall rocks through which he had just squeezed had disappeared. A pang of sorrow flooded his body as he wondered if he'd ever again see Sayl or Baelfire or even Zenva, bless her angry little heart.

There was a small narrow bridge, a trail of bones rising up out of the boiling blood, and he began to cross. It took him hours, but the bridge finally lead to a mountain of bones in the middle of the swamp. He gingerly placed a boot at the foot of the mountain...

and fell...

Spoiler

Rift to Alderaan here

 

[Sayl Bane]

Taking the weapon offered, Sayl turned it over in her hand, studying the firearm for a long moment. It wasn't as if it was her first time holding any sort of blaster, but this was one of a bit different configuration than what she was used to. After a moment she looked up again to the Zabrak woman with a half-smile. It was rare for her to be shown true, genuine kindness by anyone, and her respect was appreciated. Her gaze shifted to the crevice in the rocks that her twin had disappeared into, and with a slight frown Sayl stepped up to it as well, considering everything for a moment. For once it really seemed as if there was no better option. Well, here goes nothing, I guess.

It wasn't quite as bad as she'd expected to be, but it still exuded an aura of unnaturality and surreality. Slowly she began to cross the bridge seemingly constructed entirely out of age-old bone, keeping her blaster held firmly in her left hand. Reaching the other side, she glanced around for a moment, searching for any other individuals, and finding none, turned to study the literal mountain of bones in front of her. With a shrug she stepped forward, instead falling straight through.

[member="Sage Bane"], [member="Zenva Vrotoa"], [member="The Cartographer"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva smiled back to the young woman. It seemed to her that there was at least one Bane that wasn't completely full of themselves. A promising thought. Once Sayl entered the crevice Zenva paused to scan the canyon one last time, "Here's a frightening thought for you. What picks the bones clean?" Zenva said to herself. She smiled and turned to enter the crevice. Working her way forward carefully.

It happened so fast Zenva didn't know what to make of it at first. Climbing through the rock one moment and now suddenly standing in some hellish bog. The rich, heavy scent of hot blood filled Zenva's nose. Her stomach rolled hungrily, reminding her of just how empty her belly was. The blaster on her thigh came out in a flash, her yellow and red eyes sweeping the bog quickly. What the kark just happened?

"Lady Bane? Lady Bane! Can you hear me?" Zenva turned in place, listening. "Chit. Chit. Chit. Fine I'll do it. SAGE! Can you hear me! BABY BANE!" She waited. Nothing answered. "Kark! Cryax will kill me if he finds out I lost those two."

Zenva began forward, her blaster held in both hands and kept low. Each stride was confident, yet she stirred next to nothing as she moved. A life time of hunting prey served her well as the Zabrak warrior rushed across the hellish landscape. There! High ground. "Ignore the fact that it's the biggest gods bedamned pile of bone in the galaxy. Find the Bane twins."

Her first step up the mountain of remains was a startling one. For some reason that step up resulted in a frightening plunge down. Instinct kicked in as Zenva's arms came up to protect her head. And she fell...

[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="Sayl Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]