Private From the Phoenix's Ashes

[Amur]

Dromund Kaas
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Tag: Kalanda Tishire ​

She felt like she was already dead.

Sure she may have been still breathing, still able to move about and see the world around her. But in spirit she could feel the noose that wanted to tighten around her neck. She may have survived her encounter with Darth Malevolum, able to keep scampering about for a few more days but she couldn't trust that to be just the end. No, you could never just walk away. This Empire would never allow for such a transgression. Especially now that it was known she was treasonous.

The regular storms of Dromund Kaas were foreboding to her for the first time as she sulked down the streets and alleyways, her head darted from side to side always trying to watch out among the crowd of faces that number in their tens of thousands that she may encounter. No one could be trusted. No one. Every face could hold in it an agent, an inquisitor, or a spy. Everyone could be working to keep tabs on the Sith, no kind face could be trusted to not hide away a snake's den underneath the surface. Except for one...

She had to get to her, she had to make sure she was there first. They weren't going to take Kalanda away from her. Their home together, the one place she could feel secure with her love from all the chaos swirling around the universe was now jeopardized to Amur's paranoid mind. Doing her best to keep her blackened armored form hidden from sight she made her way across the city world. As she made her way she could feel a dark cloud fog into her mind. In it's obsidian haze was an air of shame. She had fallen again to the whispers and now her body was reminding her with each second. Her insides churning in disgust and her head growing light, as the Sith's mind kept juggling different states of paranoia, fear, and worry.

The rain kept plummeting as Amur approached their home and froze. Her eyes staring at the front door. It was so tempting, so inviting, her heart was breaking out of her chest at the image of just running in and throwing the door open. Launching herself into those warm inviting hands she yearned for so long. Yet that felt twisted by one fact. They could be waiting and monitoring for the exact moment she could. Sith Surveillance of the capital planet was all knowing, and while not everything could be viewed at once, there was always the chance that someone was at the worst possible moment. For now the darkness of the nearby alleyway was her home. She leaned against a wall and slid down into the ground. Rain pelting her armor, which upon closer inspection was riddled with battle damage and torn apart in more places then one.

She could feel her guts trembling themselves into a knotted mess as she shut her eyes. So close yet so trapped she felt. All she could do was dive into the force, her mind picturing her face and hanging onto every feature like they would be the last frames of her life as she tried to reach out to her. Hoping that the Nightsister could come to her and save her from this nightmare.

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

When the day had begun, Kalanda felt that Amur was concerned when she left the house. Hints of the old Amur showed itself again, namely in her step and in the way she walked. Her Murmur wasn't acting quite right, but the woman insisted that everything was fine. Kalanda knew better than that, but there was little to be done. All she could do, was prepare for the worst, and hope that it wouldn't come to pass. Of course, she knew deep down that their peaceful life had gone on too long by now. Someone was bound to find out.

It had occurred about an hour ago, a sense of panic and distress came over her, and from then on the witch her been on edge. Her saber was kept to her belt, her pouch of ichor was secured, and she spent several moments pacing, wondering if she was merely overly concerned, or if something drastic had happened.

Then there was a shift, and Kalanda was aware that something was wrong. Amur's mind reached hers, and with it understanding began to form within her mind. Alarmed at what she felt, Kalanda did what she knew best, drawing upon her ichor she began to weave a spell. The green fog wrapped around her form as she drew it forth, her focus fixating on the connection she felt to her Murmur, and with it she had a goal. The green smoke formed into a solid wall before Kalanda, and with it her strength began to wave. She maintained her mental strain, applying her will upon the wall, and with it a rift was formed. The image of Amur began to form upon it, and for a few moments Kalanda had her opening. In one moment, Amur was collapsed in a dark alley, the next she would find herself embraced by her witch, and lying on the floor of the living room. Kalanda collapsed the rift behind her soon after, leaving the alley abandoned, and the Sith cronies that might have been tailing her Murmur clueless as to where she had vanished to. The comforting words of Kalanda would echo in Amur's head, as the witch merely hugged the woman tightly.

I got you.

Heavy breathing came from Kalanda's lips, as she pressed her body against Amur, reeling from the fear that was gripping her lovers mind. There was no need for words, not now, there simply wasn't time. As fun as this all was, they needed to disappear.

Amur

 

[Amur]

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Tag: Kalanda Tishire ​

All she could hear was the sound of falling drops mix together into a melody as rain fell soon to be interspersed by her breathing which had grown heavy. A pressure was building up in her head, it was getting too much to think about right now. Amur was desperate to scream right now. No, someone could hear, someone could notice, they could find her. Too many unknowns. She felt trapped, all she could do was hope that Kalanda would heed her plea, that she didn't have to be alone right now.

Then Skyler felt her stomach grow funny, and she felt a weight on top of her. Her eyes opened and darkness was replaced with light. She wasn't in the alley anymore. Her mind confused, and her body numbed so heavily it didn't even compute that she had been whisked away, but already the words home came to mind. Then she heard it in her mind, Kala's words.

She felt a lump be forced into the back of her throat she looked up and saw Kalanda's face. Her breath was taken away looking at it again after everything she had been through, but then she had a shift wash over her. Elation and excitement died down as her eyes now scanned every detail of her face, trying desperately to see that everything little detail of her face was exactly the same. Every mark, and imperfection just as it should be. A clone wouldn't be able to reflect all the marks.

"Please be real, please be real..." Skyler muttered as the lump in her throat broke and body started to shake with it. Only an ounce of control keeping herself from opening up the floodgates. She quickly buried her head into the woman's shoulder, as her arms wrapped around and clung to the witch.

"They know. Darth Malevolum, she nearly killed me. Sentenced me a traitor. I don't know why she let me go. They're probably just trying to get to you. We have to leave now!" Amur spoke, her modulator may have obscured some of her voice, but the way her words blurred together into a nearly manic mess of syllables had betrayed that every iota of emotion in her.

"Did you talk to anyone? See anything? felt anything weird?! They could be watching us. Her head broke from Kala's shoulder to scan the room, momentarily having forgotten the layout of her own home in her panic. Her eyes looking for windows or anything that could be serve to act as a monitor. Her breathing remained haggard as she hyperventilated. Her grip on Kalanda growing tight as she desperately clung to anything she could remember being real.

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

There was a mark on Amur, one that she hadn't seen since their first meeting on Chad so long ago. It had returned, more suppressed now, but the pain was now on the surface rather than within. And it broke the witches heart. Feeling Skylar bury herself into Kala's shoulder, the night sister sighed quietly, knowing what had to be done. "Murmur, calm down. You're off center and you aren't thinking straight." She comforts, her hands holding the woman tightly, trying to prevent herself from giving into the rampant fear. Her words were having no impact, however, as whatever she had encountered had shaken her to the core, until it was announced that Darth Malevolum was the source.

Ah, right, another work affair gone array it seemed. But this had always been of matter of when, not if, and for such a thing Kala had a plan. "Sky, look at me. I need you to look at me, okay?" Smiling, the witch kissed the woman's forehead, pulling back as she stroked the side of her head. "We knew this day would come, and I have a plan alright? Go get your bags. Your Kala has something planned okay?" She muttered, holding her Murmur tightly, waiting for the panic stricken woman to calm. Kala was more concerned about what it would take to get the pair out of here, and if her body would be able to withstand the strain. There was only one way to find out, and not something Murmur needed to know right now. She took a look around the room, sighing at the memories that the pair had made here in spite of everything. How sad it would be to leave all this behind. How much worse would it be to burn it all to the ground.

Only one way to tell.

Amur

 

[Amur]

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Tag: Kalanda Tishire ​

"Sky, look at me. I need you to look at me, okay?" Her eyes looked up and her breathing while still heavy slowed. Skyler's mind getting lost once again onto Kalanda's beautiful face and a smile that could just melt away her fears. She could feel tears well up and begin to silently fall down her face as Kala's lips connected with her forehead. Amur's shoulders twitched at the end of every inhale. Kala would end up wiping some of the tears that still clung to her cheek as she stroked her head. She continued to stare as she felt her mind shut down and time began to morph into some odd abstraction that could be barely understood.

"We knew this day would come, and I have a plan alright? Go get your bags. Your Kala has something planned okay?"

Amur heard the command yet her body refused to move, every little signal she tried to send to her arms and legs remained locked. All she could do immediately was hold on. Just being here in Kala's arms was all that she could manage. She felt so trapped. Like her entire body had been bound up and she was forced to lay frozen as everything fell apart around her. Her body just felt so cold right now, and her mind could only fixate on how wet and sticky the tears had made her face. Her mind wanting to transport to a different place in her pas-

It's ok you want to fall apart now

But that was the past

Things won't be the same

you're different remember?

You're not alone anymore

You have Kalanda

And she needs you right now​

The thoughts came effortlessly into her head, her body stilling and her hands found they could move again. Skyler reached for the back of Kalanda's head and began to stroke her hair. Feeling it's soft silky texture meld between her fingers. She fixated on the sensation and could feel her mind clear. Right they were in their home, on Dromund Kaas, and they need to get out of here. Right, they talked about this. They talked about this. She calmed down and begin to pull back from Kala's tight embrace. The last few breaths she took were deep full of introspection and each exhale had relieved pressure that had built up in the scarred woman's body. She looked at Kalanda's face once more.

"Right we talked about this... They won't stop unless we're dead." She could remember the defeated sigh that followed that statement the first time she told that to Kalanda. Though now it seemed to help calcify something, and with it she could feel a smile emerge from her lips and a goofy laugh break out from her. "I hope we're thinking similar things about that. I'll go get my stuff."

She headed to their bedroom as she quickly rifled through a few hidden compartments placed throughout the room. She was thanking an equally paranoid past her that had prepared this. They wouldn't be able to carry much on the run, so it was only the bare minimum. A few changes of clothes for the both of them, assorted currencies that she had stowed away. Medical supplies, along with some other supplies and... sensitive materials. After getting the essentials she had scanned the room for any mementos to or loose items to bring with them when her eyes saw it laying on the bedside nightstand. A simple leather-bound journal. She walked over, and picked it up. The supple texture of the leather grounding her. She stared at it for a bit as a soft smile caressed her face. Each page having a different memory from her love, of good times and bad. This simply could never be left behind. This would always make the trip. She bagged it away taking care to pack securely before finding Kala again.

"Right, so about that plan, what have you concocted for us now? It'll need to be airtight." She said feeling a little bit of her personhood return back to her. Though the seriousness faded back in as well. This, this wasn't going to be easy.

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[Kalanda Tishire]

She could feel the concern, the worry crisscrossing her lovers face, and through it, the witch could only observe it. She felt Amur's fingers brush through her hair, holding the back of her head gently, and watched as the concern slowly ebbed away. If Kalanda told her what she had planned, such relief would be short lived. But for now, she could put on a smile, and play the supportive girlfriend; a role she seemed oddly good at upholding. She hugged the woman tightly in the embrace, clutching her with the same firmness that she held on the day of their reunion. The events to come might certainly make this their last parting, and the thought of such a thing was...unpleasant, but it was not a thought she would humor for much longer. Kalanda smiled as she heard Skylar laugh at the fact their lives were falling apart, though Kalanda's face remained humorless; these moments would be the easiest of what awaited them. A knot formed in her stomach at the thought of what was to come, perhaps a hint of the fear she had pushed so deep down within her soul. There was no time for fear though, only action.

"You go get your things, I have everything I need already." She remarked, rising as she drew out her ichor pouch, and set it upon the floor. As Amur disappeared to acquire her items, Kalanda began to start her casting. She looked down to the simple cloth, something she had tailored with her own hands back on Dathomir. The plants there were the only thing capable of keeping the Ichor contained, giving it somewhere to grow. Which was the reason she needed to do this next part, not only for herself, but for Amur; their journey wouldn't end here today. Kneeling down, she gripped the pouch, and began to pull. Hesitant at first, but soon, she let go of her reservations, and the fabric tore.

The Ichor gushed forth, the green magick filling the room, becoming a light emerald fog that Amur would soon find herself walking through. Kalanda rose, her hands raised as she began to call the Ichor back towards her, removing any obfuscation that Skylar might have found with the green mists, as the magick began to solidify within her palms. Hearing the questions of her love, Kalanda could answer her question for now, but in the ritual to come it would take all her strength. "I'm going to make a rift in the Neither of the Force. Using the Ichor, I'm going to shunt us into the Nexus, and navigate us to a safe place. The...result will destroy this apartment, and give the Sith nothing of which to trace us. Though, I'm going to need absolute focus to pull this off." Kalanda's words began to slow, strain starting to show on her brow, as she could begin to feel the weight of power dropping down on her, Ichor and Force building on her shoulders, trying to drop her concentration; but she would not be halted. "Sky, get near me, when I open this rift, I can't control what comes with me. Closer you are, the sooner I can close the rift." She warned, her body trembling as the power began to eat at her, her arm stinging, a familiar pain from long ago calling back.

But she would not be stopped. Not now, not with Skylar depending on her. Pain was something she had learned to master, learned to live with. But heart break? Loss? She would not suffer such things. Not when it would be forced upon her in such a fashion.

No, they were escaping. Even if she was reduced to ashes, they would never hurt her Murmur again.
Amur

 

[Amur]

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Tag: Kalanda Tishire ​

Amur could feel something in her heart just drop when she saw the green mist flood and then ebb away from the room. Her heart beat picked up the pace and her senses began to heighten. She could feel it in her soul. Something terrible was about to happen. It always happened when the witch drew upon her magick. She was already beginning to see green fire in her mind. The progressive amounts of strain eating Kala's voice added to that dread. The words were meanwhile bouncing differently on another level of her mind... A perfect death for the records could await. Nothing to show, therefore nothing to hide anymore. It could finally free them...

Run A whisper beckoned the rogue Sith, a familiar call from a hellish time.

"Sky, get near me, when I open this rift, I can't control what comes with me. Closer you are, the sooner I can close the rift." Kala's words pulled at Skyler, begged at her. She remained frozen for a moment as once more the little whisper in the back of her head commanded. This time a tad louder.

Run Once more it repeated. The future was unknown yet was fast approaching, Her heart beating faster, and observing the strain that was beginning to take hold of Kalanda as her body trembled. Yet she thought about the last time she ran when faced with such a moment. The guilt being but a reminder of past mistakes. One that she refused to give into again. She saw Kalanda's body begin to tremble and Skyler acted.

She quickly approached the witch, fighting every instinct telling to run, her body wanting to act against her but her will had taken over. Now trying to get as close as possible, stopping just short of being able to join the witch in an embrace. Her mind steeled itself for what was to come. The unknown may be a path to many horrors, many trials, and the potential for loss... But when faced with the prospects of facing them alone once more or being at the side of her love the option was clear. This time they would be together.

"No matter where, I'll be with you." Skyler replied her voice having the slightest hint of a choke in it. She meant it. Whether it be in living or death.

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[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda had always been gifted with power. It was a birthright in a sense for her, with her mother having made a damn pedigree over the years, it made sense. But more than the power she had been born with, she also had a gift for using it. For many years, she had attributed it to her force sight, being able to see with what you are working with was helpful after all. Though her time on Dathomir revealed to her that she simply had a knack for using the ichor, feeling the tug and pull of it, and knowing just where to apply it with her minimum amount of effort. Which was the only reason she felt even remotely comfortable with pulling this maneuver off. Adrian had shown her how the Force Neither World worked, that one could pull and tug it with a great deal of effort, and if one was skilled enough even enter it. She felt a strain take hold, as if some unseen force had latched onto her and was slowly pulling her forward, with only the power of the ichor giving her enough strength to resist. Kalanda gritted her teeth, her mind no longer focused on the home she an Amur had made for themselves, but focusing on the faint shimmer in reality before her, as a distortion began to form, a sign of the havoc that was to come. The Ichor began to wrap around Kalanda, criss crossing over her body, her arms, and sweeping to the floor, almost teething her in place, as a lethal game of tug of war began to unfold.


She could feel Amur near her, the presence of the woman steeling her resolve, as the witch began to divert all of her effort from resisting the pull of the rift, to actively fighting it. The Ichor that was keeping her anchored shifted, breaking from it's green glowing chains, into a torrent of green flames, coiling around the witches arms before slamming into shimmer in the air. The result was immediate. A loud 'crash' sounded, as the crackling of fire slammed into distortion. It sounded as if the hull of a starship had been breached, but worse yet was the green flames that exploded back at the pair. For a moment, it looked as it it might engulf the pair, but Kalanda had prepared for this. She seized the flames as it began to roll back, diverting it around herself and Amur, and throwing it back at the rift to the Neither World. Just as she had warned, the flames began to wrap around the room, covering the ceiling, the floor, and devouring furniture and carpet as it began to burn away the home. But the result was worth it.

There would be no evidence to follow the pair after this. There would be no coming back, and no more running. Armed with her new weapon, Kalanda continued to assail the shimmering vortex, as it began to widen, shimmering, an almost blinding light pulsating from underneath the tidal wave of flames as the witch burned a hole into the dimension. The sound of howling wind was heard, accompanied by something akin to a window shattering. Kalanda could feel the breach widening, and then immediately try and close. She reacted quickly, already drained from the inital effort, she diverted her power once more. The flames that had burned their path to freedom morphed, gripping the edges of the barrier, and giving the pair a glimpse into their 'escape' route. It seemed more of staring into empty space rather than a nexus of the force. Large seemingly celestial bodies hung in a black sky, with dying lights stretched so far beyond, it seemed to have no end. It seemed lovely at first glance, but the pair would soon learn it was anything but that soon enough.

The Ichor buckled from the strain, as even with Kalanda's power, this portal wouldn't be held for long. Her arm flared up in agony once more, the Ichor punishing her for having been used in this manner once again. But she would not give. "SKY, GO!" She screamed out, the green flames burning out of control behind her, as the shield she had made to protect them was no longer around. The heat from the fires would now be felt, the apartment now feeling like a furnace, as the heat began to build. Once she was certain Sky was through, Kalanda would follow through, the portal collapsing behind her the moment she began to stop focusing.

They would now be left to marvel at this new world, though Kalanda gripped her injured arm the moment she had a chance. It felt as if fire was licking up and down her limb, searing pain pulsating in her veins. But there was no time to dwell on that. They now had to navigate this strange place, and without the ichor to help guide them.

Amur