Engine Trouble and No Rum (Nimue)

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

"What do you mean the hyperdrive isn't working?" Sorin wasn't particularly happy, not at all. As his fingers glided across the engine monitor, he kept finding problem after problem. The YT-2000, what he had acquired from the group trying to kill him last, wasn't wanting to work, and Sorin didn't have the mechanical knowledge to know what the problem was. He was lucky the ship had aborted hyperspace when it began to malfunction. The more problems he saw, the worse his situation became apparent to him. "Okay...hyperdrive isn't damaged, at least according to the senses...stasis field was stable, but there's an anomaly ten minutes after activation...on top of that, the shields are working with only half their capacity, suggesting that there's a problem with the power output and stabilization..."

'For someone who doesn't know much, you know quite a bit.'

"Tell me something I don't know." There had to be irony in there somewhere. When he had first awoken at the station he left from, it was by an "AI" or something else close to one, as far as he knew. A voice, for lack of a better phrasing of it, not unlike one he had experienced previously, but this one was much more talkative. Female from what he could tell, but without a name. He hadn't given it much thought to give one to her, but now wasn't the time to do so. He couldn't get the hyperdrive to work, and if it wasn't working, he'd have to send out a distress call out into space. Without knowing which region of space is controlled by who, he'd be calling out blindly, and might attract the completely wrong attention. "Is there anything that you know about this system?"

'Unfortunately, no.'

"At least I asked." The systems diagnostics weren't helping either. He kept getting error after error dealing with the energy output of the shields and hyperdrive. Without knowing how old the equipment was, he wasn't sure what was going first: the engine or the sensors. Assuming the sensors are fantastic, if the case, it makes him wonder if the other group knew about these same problems. And if they aren't the problem, then he couldn't be sure which one it was, because something is wrong somewhere. Maybe both of them, maybe? Either way, it was time to do something else. Returning back to the cockpit, he scanned the nearby system for any planets within reach, and hopefully somewhere he can find what he needs to get the ship fixed. Even if the senors on the ship were not working properly, the long range sensors should be fine...theoretically, anyway. After about five minutes, the scan brought back something. Four planets were nearby, about two hours max sublight speed away from the ship, and they orbited a yellow sun. If push came to shove, he hoped that at least one of them had what he needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well...this is interesting." As he stepped off the ship, the landing ramp closing behind him, he looked out across the distance to the mountains and grasslands beyond. Thankful for the breathable air, he made his way forward. He had been able to land the YT-2000 in the forest, concealed and hidden mostly from view, and hopefully staying that way. The initial scan of the planet brought up a very interesting reading. Though most of the culture of the planet was medieval in custom, there was advanced technology well beyond the overall state of the planet. If he had to guess, this planet must have made contact with the overall galaxy within the last few decades, if not a hundred years or so. He noticed very few ships going and leaving the planet, and while he might dock at a port, he didn't have any credits. Once he had been rich, and now, eight years later, he's here. So much for everything. Thankfully though he found some clothing on the ship, rather than having to wear that damn bacta suit. And the funny thing was that the clothing might let him blend right in. Not poor, but not rich either.

Time to find out where he was...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Effekt, eh?" After a few hours of walking on foot, before hitching a ride from a guy with a speeder, he found himself in their capital city, Halaban. The district he was in was huge, and it reminded him of the streets of Coruscant...though not as tall, or advance technology. Food stands, swords, maybe a blaster shop here and there...the place seemed like a blend of archaic and machine tech. Definitely has not been that long since the planet made contact, but it would do for now. Problem was finding someone who could help. While he might simply just find a shop, Sorin had the suspicion that trying to find a mechanic for a hyperdrive core would not go well for him. He kept getting weird looks from people as he walked.

He had a bad feeling about this...

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Strangers were not uncommon on Effekt, but those who arrived within the city without invitation from the Empress were something the locals of the planet were not used to seeing. They all watched as the redheaded man continued to mingle his way through the streets. Some whispered, wondering it he was a guest who was lost, but given his trappings and all it seemed unlikely. Whoever he was it was clear no one liked him. At the very least he was within the royal palace, meaning plenty of guards were on stand-by if worst came to it. And speaking of...​

​

As [member="Sorin Vanado"] continued through the streets a pair of guards would stop him, asking "Oye. Who are you supposed to be, outsider? Some guest of the Empress Stromborn?"​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

"Oye. Who are you supposed to be, outsider? Some guest of the Empress Stormborn?"

Annnnd...sh*t. Sorin glanced behind him as the guards approached, and the pair were not exactly the most friendly looking either. Coruscant was one place to encounter law-enforcement, but on this planet, he wasn't sure how they'd react. To run, or not to run...running would do him little, but facing them down when he knew he didn't have a cover story would not do well either. New plan: improvise. As the guards got closer, they noticed that their target was not there anymore, as if he had just disappeared out of thin air. If there was one thing that Sorin was good at, he knew how to get lost in a crowd. The market place was big for a reason, and with everyone about, slipping through the cracks was easy. His presence would be but a whisper in that immediate area, but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever.

Didn't they say something about an Empress?

'What are you thinking?' The voice spoke again in his head, but it seemed more curious about his plan than anything else. Sorin could only smirk as he silently slipped a cloak from a clothes rack while the owner's attention was in the other direction. Without resources, stealth would be the most powerful weapon he had...other than the blaster he had on him. He wrapped the cloak around him, setting the hood up to cover his head, and he made his way toward the inner district. Where there is royalty, there is money, and the means to get off this rock. While he would have preferred a low-profile target for his interests, this was not a normal situation. The only problem now is...where the hell is she?

 

[Nimue Stormson]

The guards, seeing [member="Sorin Vanado"] start moving tried to hurry over towards him. Though much to their shock he managed to disappeared in front of them. Of course confused both of them called for the other guards to send word to be on the look out for him. Word went from the streets all the way to the royal palace where the guards were told to be on alter there as well. By this time the Empress herself was merely within her quarters, though no one risked disturbing her unless called otherwise. Usually it meant she was in meditation or speaking with a private guest. Although this time she was merely trying to take a bath. ​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

'This way...' What? Sorin blinked, glancing around him as he walked through the crowds of the street, evading the notice of the guards as best he could. He got the feeling he needed to duck right, and so he did. No sooner had he done that than did a dozen soldiers step outside a shop, right into the path he would have walked otherwise. But it was not the soldiers that had given Sorin pause, but the voice...it was the same one as before, the same one who had spoken to him...eight years ago. Even now, he could remember the echo of his words: 'What are you waiting for, boy? Darkness is waiting...' Was it really the same one? Either way, he couldn't stop in the middle of everything and ponder the implications of it. As he walked further on, he could see a palace rise up to the sky. An impressive place, maybe lacking in height compared to what he's use to, but it was bigger than some of them. Now...how to get up there...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night did not take long to fall once Sorin made it into the city, the stars at night a brilliance of display, and already, the guards were none the wiser for it. With the limited knowledge and access to building layout, there were a limited number of options, but all of them meant stealth. The rounds of the guards around the gates, while many, were not entirely without fault. All it took was one break in their patrol and he was in, slipping past their garden areas, and into the palace itself. As comical as it was, no one bothers to look on the inside if you have the outside covered. Soldiers and guards were still around as they roamed the halls, but not nearly as many. The entire time, however, he felt like a feeling was guiding him, that the voice from before was whispering in his ear. Not literately of course, but it made him wonder. He could sense things before they happen, know when to move, and when to lie still. It was as if he could feel the patterns of energy around him, without knowing anything about them. The Force...it was like he thought, he could use it...but how far? A test...for another day. He made his way across the palace, and felt himself get closer to...something. Silence has helped him so far; let's hope it keeps it up.

And then Sorin heard the splashing of water. Someone was taking a bath. He turned and noticed a cracked door. The door was bigger than the rest, and much grander, but when he peeked into the room, it was half in shadow, and half in candle light. This had to be the Empress's room; it was a lot fancier than everything else in the building. Which means she was taking a bath...lovely. Let's hope she was young, or seeing a naked old lady was not going to be high on his list of achievements. He slipped inside silently, and hid in the shadows of the room, taking a standing position at one corner, and waited. His blaster was already drawn, but he knew he wouldn't be seen. However, his goal wasn't to kill her. No, that would defeat the purpose of coming here. He had a much better idea in mind.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

The Empress continued to bathe herself in the large brass basin laid out in her room. She hummed a little tune, one sung by her people often, while she scrubbed and soaped herself down. A good show form someone like [member="Sorin Vanado"] sitting and hiding in the shadows like a naughty pervert. When she finished she stood, her back to where he hid in the shadows as she found a towel and wrapped herself in it. She stepped out and made her way over to a small desk where a mirror awaited. ​

​

As she dried her hair with a separate towel Nimue suddenly said "I hope you've enjoyed the view....because it'll be the last thing you ever see."​

​

Without turning to him Nimue snapped her fingers. The shadow near where Sorin stood began to form into a shape. A large wolf-like feature that growled and barked as it seemed to spawn from darkness itself. This was a sith alchemy familiar, and one of Nimue's unknown protectors when she needed it. The shadow wolf had cornered Sorin and barked, ready to pounce down on him. ​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

While he waited, he was tempted to peek around the corner of the door that lead to the washroom, but as much as he would have liked that, he had to remind himself that he wasn't sure what he was walking into. Best to not be distracted...at least until later; maybe once he got off the planet. When she turned the corner, however, he could feel himself blush. Though the towel was now around her, he could imagine. What he didn't imagine was what happened next. "I hope you've enjoyed the view....because it'll be the last thing you ever see." She was very much aware he was there, but it wasn't based on a visual perspective. Something else was going on. She snapped her fingers as she messed with a hand mirror, and suddenly this shape came alive from the shadows around, forming into this wolf-like creature that snarled at him, but did not immediately attack.

'A pet?' The voice seemed almost shocked, not in a type of surprise where something was unexpected, but the type where it was comical. Sorin couldn't help but smirk, sharing in his view point as he tried to suppress a chuckle. Thank goodness the voice was only in his head and couldn't be heard elsewhere. This would be hard to explain otherwise. Even Sorin didn't know quite what to do with it.

"Technically speaking, that-" he said, one hand pointing towards the wolf. "-would be the last thing I see. But I'm not here to be technical, and I'm not here to kill you." Sorin didn't weaver, didn't fault, and he didn't back away from the large wolf that probably wanted to eat his face off. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have just tossed a few plasma grenades in here and call it a day. Your security sucks by the way." Okay, now he was just being rude, but for some reason, Sorin felt more annoyed than anything else. He couldn't tell at what though. Odd. "I'm here because my ship cannot get me to Coruscant, Korriban, or anywhere for that matter. I need resources, but my...usual connections don't exist anymore. While normally I can do without, not for my problem. So, here's my proposal: I'm an assassin. You have enemies. Give me a name, or a list, and they will be dead within the week. In exchange, I need my ship fixed. Once it is, you'll never have to see me again." He paused for a second as he felt like he was forgetting something. "And I'll throw in a few suggestions about your security. Free of charge...mostly." As a matter of pride, if he has a skill to give, he'll give it in exchange for something else. He's not a thief, not when he can make allies instead...hopefully.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

As he continued to talk Nimue didn't turn to him. She continued to fix herself while her beast snapped and came closer and closer to him. The red eyes of the creature were almost feral as it stalked ever close. The whole time he tried to ramble and save himself Nimue had walked away behind a divider in the room in order to change. Going from a towel to a dark green robe she exited and watched as he said he was an assassin and how he would kill anyone for her. She held her hand up and stopped the wolf before walking towards him herself.​

​

"You claim you can kill me? You've no idea. I sensed your presence the moment you stepped foot into my palace. And I can sense the power in you, boy. You're barley a threat to me." she reached out and grabbed his throat, squeezing, while continuing with "And then you dare to try and save your skin while berating my men and thinking I cannot kill my enemies if I wished on my own. So tell me, outsider, what's stopping e from killing you now?"​

​

[member="Sorin Vanado"]​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

Slowly, but surely, the wolf was getting more annoying, and she changed into a robe. The more that time went on, the more he was wondering if he was wasting his time. She raised her hand and stopped the wolf.
"You claim you can kill me? You've no idea. I sensed your presence the moment you stepped foot into my palace. And I can sense the power in you, boy. You're barley a threat to me."

'Barely? Barely, she says.' The voice wasn't pleased. It wasn't happy...it was...angry? Images popped through his head, and he could feel his throat being squeezed by something...a Force technique? His eyes were closed, his hand on his head, and he couldn't understand what was going on. There was a pounding in his head. The pressure on his neck was like an afterthought...the images...dark...very, very dark. He could see a man on a throne smiling, laughing.

"And then you dare to try and save your skin while berating my men and thinking I cannot kill my enemies if I wished on my own. So tell me, outsider, what's stopping me from killing you now?"

Sorin felt distant...he felt like he wasn't there. No...when his hand was lowered, he could not feel pressure on his neck. It was as if something blocked it out. His eyes opened, and stared down the Empress. They weren't violet eyes anymore, but a vivid gold that could see what he could not. No...he wasn't in control anymore.

His Darkness was.

"So be it." That was not his voice! The smoke grenades went off immediately, filling the room, and nothing could be seen visually. Sorin...no, the man who looked like Sorin...was already out of the room. It was like watching a movie you couldn't control, couldn't pause...and couldn't figure out. He could tell he was going down the hall...and then nothing. He saw...nothing. When a servant was walking down the hallway, she shrieked when she came across blood on the floor, from six guards laid down low, and without mercy.

'Where am I?'

'Darkness, my friend...our darkness.'

'Where are we going?'

'Far, far away from here.'

 

[Nimue Stormson]

The sudden burst of smoke had blinded the Empress. She backed away and coughed before seeing Sorin run away. By the time everything cleared and she left the room she could see what he'd done. So fast he managed to kill all of those men? Perhaps there was something to be gained from him. If she could find him. Both ways showed nothing. She hummed with curiosity as to which way he went before having an idea. She whistled and the wolf familiar went sinking back into shadow. In it's place came a small raven familiar. It cawed and flapped it's waiting as it landed on it's "mother's" shoulder. ​

​

"Find him. Bring him a message." she cooed into it's ear before it went flapping off to find the stranger. ​

​

[member="Sorin Vanado"]​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

The next thing Sorin could remember was leaning against a building, breathing heavily; how the hell did he get here? He slid down to the ground, knees prompting up his arms, but his mind felt like he had gone through a hamster wheel. He was...in the district over...covering...damn, half a kilometer? No wonder he felt exhausted, he must have...wait, no, that's not possible. The moons were still in their same positions as when he saw them last outside the Empress's window. How fast did he move? How?

'Come on, get up. You are not weak.' Sorin blinked, looking around as he wondered if there was anyone around. He saw no one, not even guards. 'And before you ask again, no, you didn't do this. I used your body to get here...with your energy. Connect the dots.' That means Sorin is a lot stronger in the Force than he thought...but this voice, how did he take over? Why did he show up in the first place? Too many questions...not enough answers. Suddenly a raven lands nearby, its head twitching back and forth.

"Great, I have an audience for my insanity. Argh..." A headache was starting to settle in.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

It took time but, using her force sense through the Raven, she was able to find [member="Sorin Vanado"] outside in the city. The raven had landed nearby and perched itself. It looked down at him with pure red eyes. And then it's beak opened, but instead of a caw there came a voice. The Empress' voice.​

​

"Interesting skills you have. Not one ordinarily seen in a beginner like you." it seemed to echo out from the familiar's beak. "If you are intent to have you ship repaired I can see arrangements are made. If you do me one small favor. Far to the west there is a cave. Inside you will find a race of horrid creatures known as dwergi. They have something of value to me. A weapon. When you find it bring it back to my palace. I will ensure you are not harmed when you do. Once you bring it back you'll have the money and supplies needed. Bring it back before morning, and you may entice something more."​

​

Without another word the raven closed it's beak and cawed again.​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

When it opened its beak, it didn't make a cawing sound, but instead the voice of the Empress. Lovely. "Interesting skills you have. Not one ordinarily seen in a beginner like you." A beginner? Combat was not something he was just a beginner in, but the speed he had...that was new. In that regard, yes, he had to give her that one. "If you are intent to have you ship repaired I can see arrangements are made." Sorin blinked, his head turned toward the raven, and listening more now than he was before. Why the sudden change in attitude? Just because he killed a few people? No, using the Force was the reason. What else could one do with the Force? "If you do me one small favor." He knew there was a catch! Damn it all... "Far to the west there is a cave. Inside you will find a race of horrid creatures known as dwergi. They have something of value to me. A weapon." A weapon? Interesting. Something to help her along, it seems. "When you find it bring it back to my palace. I will ensure you are not harmed when you do." Let's hope she keeps her word then...hopefully. "Once you bring it back you'll have the money and supplies needed. Bring it back before morning, and you may entice something more." Sorin blinked again, dumbfounded. This seemed like a complete 180 from her previous behavior. As strange as it was, he was curious about her offer.

'Focus, Sorin. Focus.' Cave...creatures...weapon, yes. With a renewed vigor, he got up, sighed, and nodded to the raven. "So be it." With that, he made his way toward the west...and to hotwire a speeder. He wasn't about to walk to a cave with creatures in it. Best come prepared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While he didn't know what this weapon looked like, he could imagine that it wasn't something you would see in the everyday market. With enough experience with knowing weapons, he hoped that maybe he could at least use it while getting out of there. The wind rushed past his ears as he zoomed across the grasslands, heading toward the west, and towards the cave he would eventually enter...in one piece.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Upon reaching the cave by nightfall it would be time for the dwergi to begin rising out of the ground. A few of the hunters for the party were already out in front of the cave, armed with crude weaponry and ready for the kill. The snarled and gawked about as they sniffed the air, awaiting the arrival for the rest of their people. The inside of the cave was just a system of tunnels and smaller hovels that made out what was basically a small village inside the base of a mountain. In one of the hovels was a trove of treasures that were lost thanks to the dwergi. One of them was the weapon in question: a scepter with a shining blue gem at the end of it. It was old and withered and covered in dust bu the gen itself still managed to gleam. ​

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[member="Sorin Vanado"]​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

On the edge of the girth of the trees, Sorin held in hand binoculars to peer across the forest. He could see ahead the mouth of the cave, along with a few of the other known Dwergi warriors, standing before it with weapons in hand, and likely willing to defend their home with their very lives. While not concerned for their well being, he didn't want to have to deal with the entire horde if they knew something was wrong. Silence was key, and probably some diversions. With a plan in mind, he hid the speed with a few branches of the trees around, at least enough to where those beasts won't be curious. Circling about and approaching from the left, he hid among the trees and stood on a slight incline to the mountain side. He needed to get some of their attention elsewhere. As it stood, there were four Dwergi, but that didn't mean anything. With a branch nearby, he threw it high into the air, quite a distance away. The sound of the branch flying drew their attention up, but soon drove it to where it landed. Their excitement for what they perceived to be wild life was apparent, howling, marching forward and leaving their cave behind. First the four went...and then four more...then ten...before long, twenty of them had come forth from their cave, warriors and women alike.

Why was he out here again? Soon, all of the Dwergi were out in force, and far enough away that Sorin felt comfortable getting down from his tree and get to the mouth of the cave. The stench was four, but with a light, he began to navigate the maze of the cave system, hopefully without having to encounter another one of those creatures. Further and further, down and down he went, but the system had no end. So far, however, no Dwergi. Good. It still stank to high heaven. The more he walked, however, the more he wondered where their horde was. The only signs of life seemed to be bones, scraps of meat, feces, and a few dead Dwergi. When he turned a corner, his light went right into the face of a Dwergi. It howled, as if in pain, swinging wildly in front of him as he stomped forward. This wasn't good...need to end it quickly. With a swift side step, he evaded its claws, and kicked it in the side of the head. The Dwergi collided with the wall with a sharp thud before collapsing to the floor, and ceased to move. One second...ten seconds...still it did not move. He wasn't about to stick around for when another one showed up. Based on the reaction of the creature though, it seemed that they don't like bright light. Maybe that's why they live in caves, and only come out during the night. A genetic mutation from being underground for so long, most likely.

As he continued on, he could slowly hear the howls of Dwergi up ahead, but not in the same pitch as the warriors, or the one he had encountered. It was as if they were...communicating. A language? Whatever it was, they were doing something. He turned another corner, and saw the cave stretch down below, further into the earth, but at the end of it, he could see something shining. With a careful and steady footing, he made his way down. At the end, he could see their horde, treasure in gems and diamonds, but no weapon...except a scepter. The gem at its end glowed much brighter than the rest. Maybe it was this that they were trying to cover up. The light from it must be blinding to them. Was this the weapon she sought? Unsure, but determined to bring back something, he reached down, and picked it up.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Nimue would wait in her quarters for [member="Sorin Vanado"] to return. Her excitement at the idea of him retuning in one piece was already a giddy charm. Not that it was hard to deal with dwergi but if he managed to return the scepter in question back to her that would prove to be an accomplishment all on it's own. She had no intention of telling him it's worth but with what she was willing to offer him in exchange would be enough. Though she doubted he'd make it back by morning. If he did then she'd lose a bet to herself with quiet dignity and, at the very least, have another pay off by the end. If he proved strong enough that is. She sat there, still in her robe, on the end of her bed looking at the picture of the late emperor Victor Stormborn hanging above the fireplace.​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

Light weight, easy to carry...out of all the items in the trove, this one seemed to be the strangest. The gem seemed to hum with a stead vibration, and he got a feeling that it wasn't all that it appeared to be. Sorin turned he head back towards the mouth of the tunnel and cursed. The sounds of howling got louder, and that would not be good for anyone. With as much speed as he could muster, he climbed out of the tunnel, and steadily went back the way he came. Maybe with any luck, he wouldn't encounter another Dwergi. The entire tread back was mostly uneventful...until he took one step outside of the cave. On the other side stood two warrior Dwergi, guarding the mouth of the cave while the others were out, but who turned the moment Sorin walked out.

"And I'm screwed." Ducking under their clawed attacks, uncoordinated and sloppy, he fired his blaster at them, nailing both of them twice in the chest before they fell down, quite dead. The howls of the hunt broken the outside air, and Sorin could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising. Yeah, time to get out of here. Trying to get back to the speeder as quickly as possible, but without drawing attention, is a lot harder than it looks. For one, he didn't do it. Two Dwergi rounded about the trees, and he had to shoot both of them down before he could continue on. Four down...twenty something more to go...let's not keep count. He made it back to his speeder, thankfully untouched, but as he took off the branches, four more Dwergi leaped from the forest trees, spears in hand.

My turn...' Almost immediately, Sorin could feel the disconnecting sensation as before, as if he was watching himself through this weird 3D movie. He turned towards the beasts, his eyes glazed gold, and piercing the veil of night. In that very instant, all four Dwergi whimpered, backing up slowly, as if afraid of what it was they were seeing. Once the beasts were far away enough, Sorin got on the speeder, and got the hell out of dodge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, made it back before sunrise." He stood now in her room...again...holding the scepter in one hand, and wondering what the hell was so special about the thing. Didn't matter much though. The guards let him in, which was a plus since they weren't trying to kill him. Maybe then she would make good on all of her other deals.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Upon waiting Nimue looked out towards the window, seeing as morning would come within the next two hours. If he wasn't back by now then... She was stopped when a guard had come to inform her of his return. Well, it seemed as though she lost the bet to herself after all. What an interesting surprise. She stood and awaited [member="Sorin Vanado"] to come walking through the door with the scepter in hand. Upon his arrival she gasped and made her way over before taking it from him. She held it up an examined it, seeing if it really was the real thing. A deep smile on her face confirmed this was true. ​

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She turned back to Sorin, almost looking like she would snap on him, but instead reached out and pulled him in for a full mouth kiss. She gave a passionate hum before pulling back and saying "Thank you. You've made an empress truly happy today." ​

 

[Sorin Vanado]

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

She took the scepter fairly quickly, and while she examined it, he wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. She didn't outright say that it was "not" the weapon, so that was something. A deep smile appeared on her face, pleased by what she saw, maybe? When she turned to face him, she seemed a bit angry, making Sorin slightly weary, but what he didn't expect was being kissed! Lips, mouth...it was very sensual, and very enjoyable. When she withdrew, Sorin gasped, breathing a little bit more heavily than he was before, and he could still taste her on his lips. "Thank you. You've made an empress truly happy today."

'I don't have enough rum for this.' he thought, and he swore that the other voice was laughing again.

"You're welcome." He wasn't sure why the scepter was special, but if it made her happy, then maybe things would work out for him. Hopefully.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

She turned and walked away from him, putting the scepter on a desk while dusting it off. "You'll have what you need to have your ship repaired and back into space." she said back to him. "I already have my men on standby. They were charged to either fix it, or destroy it. If you didn't return that is." After that she turned from her seat with her bare legs crossed as she gave a bemused smile. "You've done a very impressive job, good sir. You're truly skilled to have taken on an entire force of dwergi alone. Normally I would have done so, but I did not wish to dirty my hands with such work. And my men have never had the stomach for fully entering a deep mountain infested with the beasts. Still you proven to be a capable warrior." She then gave a coy giggle and said "I bet you handle your sword very well."​

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[member="Sorin Vanado"]​