Heart of Maranon

[Maranon]

Arriving to Zeltros in: Starscape Class Yacht

Wearing: Queen's Gown (http://starwarsrp.net/topic/143393-queens-gown/

Armed with: Crown of Katanos (http://starwarsrp.net/topic/143384-crown-of-katanos/)



The old woman had labored for days on Ossus to arrange the stones, inscribe the formula correctly at each point in the old underground spring, surrounded by kyber crystals of all colors. The water bubbled in the small pond, flowing into and out of ancient rocks that fed into Tython's rivers above. She was clad in a long, simple green armorweave gown that hugged a frail figure. Her pink, almost purple skin made darker by contrast with the light of the kybers as she took out a knife. Only one step left. She ran the edge of the enchanted knife across her palm, sprinkling the blood into the water. The pond, deeper than she was tall, bubbled and glowed green, now infused with The Calculus.

"Kerimi!"

The old woman stopped, her ice white hair tied in a conservative bun. Her pink eyes, shielded by large black framed glasses with thick lenses to compensate for failing sight, making the eyes seem bigger than they really were, settled on a man she knew well, his weathered voice stern but holding an edge of concern for a cherished friend. He was as old and as wrinkled as she was, his hair having fallen out at the top, a white crown around the back and sides, his green eyes--for she had always liked his green eyes, fixed on her with a growing stare of apprehension. He was in his typical weathered, tattered robes, his lightsaber in hand. Kerimi's saber lay on her belt still.

"Have you come to try and stop me?" Kerimi asked, her once lovely and delicate voice now as weathered and wearied by age as his was.

"I don't want to see you make a terrible mistake, Kerimi. You're a good friend. A great Jedi. You always have been. You have a lot of friends. Friends who don't want to see you do what you're about to do." Joc-Cha-Ninn said pleadingly to his more skilled colleague. "Whatever that fragment of knowledge you have been gifted with the Force is for, it was not meant to be used in this manner. You are abusing Divine Power, Master Avalon. You're violating the will of the Force with what you must know, surely, is an act motivated by selfishness."

Kerimi let him speak, her expression neutral. Finally, the wrinkle faced woman turned, stared at her hands.

"Is it selfishness? Is it? Tell me...what have I to honestly show for all my years of teaching?"

Her hands had once been so soft. They resembled wood bark now.

"I spend my days in the library...studying these old tomes, learning these old secrets, these ancient things the common civilian will likely never have a use for...I learned so much..." she trailed, feeling useless and dry like she had for months.

"I learned so much...so much that even I have no use for. I can do so much...and yet with all I can do, all of which seems to have so little practical use if you actually think about it--I'm supposed to take this knowledge, knowledge which has never truly made me a better person, knowledge that ordinary people don't have a use for...and I was supposed to find a way to help them...and I can't...I haven't..."

"That's not true!" he exclaimed, taking another step closer. "You're a wise diplomat. One of the most learned scholars I personally have ever encountered! There are a hundred, a thousand conflicts that would have ended in an utter bloodbath had you not talked people out of it--"

"Bandages...ointments...nothing truly renewing...nothing truly lasting..." Kerimi replied softly, feeling her age, the green pool beckoning. "They offered me a seat on the Council once. Did you know that?"

"Why did you not accept?" he asked, keeping still, trying not to antagonize her.

"Because its just a bunch of old fools who think they know more than they actually do. People who have never had a full life. Who've never known or yearned for the simple pleasure of a kiss. A bunch of people too in love with the idea that they are the Force's guardians. They'll grow too in love with the idea of deciding the fate of other adepts who don't think the same."

"Kerimi, your life in the Order was full of meaning."

"I spent the best years of my life hunched over, staring at pages, sitting on my butt meditating..." Kerimi said, voice developing a bitter edge so suddenly it. "I never went to the theater...I never put on something just because it made me look good...I never kissed you, when you were young and strong and my hair was still black..."

He frowned, the unspoken thing between them finally deciding, at last, after all these decades, to come to the surface.

"The life of a Jedi is one of commitment to the Force, Kerimi. We both knew this. It saddens me to see that I accepted it far more than you have, it seems. Love is the shadow of greed and passion, Kerimi. It will drag you to the Dark if you let it. We're friends. We grew old. Its the will of the Force, which holds much greater wonders and mysteries when we both finally become one with it."

"But a life is meant for living!" Kerimi snapped back, turning to him. "What reward am I to look forward to? Eternal life as a ghost in the power grid we all draw from? What kind of a reward is that?! Eternal life watching all the young and beautiful normal people who were fortunate in so many more ways than I by never being touched by the Force live and love and be loved and enjoy all the things I denied myself because I was so desperate for enlightenment it never occured to me until I was an old woman that the Force, that the Jedi, may not have been the best place to search? Tell me, what's the reward here? What's the reward for never knowing the love of anyone? Because that doesn't sound like much of a reward to me, Eternal life with no one to share it with except mere colleagues and co-workers."

"Is friendship truly not enough, Master Avalon?" Joc-Cha-Ninn asked sadly.

The old, disillusioned woman, whom dozens of students called their finest teacher, shook her head.

"No...no it's not..." Kerimi said, backing towards the pool. "I spent my whole life without any real personal use for what I learned. And, now, now that I come across the one bit of knowledge that I, finally might have a need for...I won't turn it away...it was revealed to me for a reason. Maybe the Force wants me to know what it's like to be happy, at last...with you..." Kerimi said, holding out her hand.

"Let's share it...let's start over...somewhere else...anywhere else..." Kerimi spoke. "We've given our whole lives to this mysterious thing just for the hope of enlightenment...can't we put off enlightenment and discover what it's like to be happy?"

The old man shook his head at her. "I am a Jedi, Kerimi. I have made my choice. Please step away from the pool you corrupted."

Kerimi shook her head, taking a further step back.

His orange lightsaber blade snaked out.

"Kerimi...please...you're a good person, don't do this!" He pleaded, going into a Shii-Cho guard.

It said a great deal of Kerimi's power that she did not draw her own lightsaber.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"You are on a path that I can't follow...you're throwing away you're entire career..." the old man replied, expression resolute now.

"Joc--"

The old Jedi leapt, orange blade trying to knick her on the side to disable her. Kerimi was fast. She simply backed out of the thrust and allowed herself to fall into the pool, arms outstretched as she hit the enchanted water and disappeared. He cautiously approached the glowing bubbling pool, guarding as he felt Kerimi's spiritual death agonies in the Force as the pond scoured away all humbleness, all charity, all austerity, all restraint, and finally, after all these far more essential things had been marred beyond recognition, leaving what was left to gestate with knowledge that the person who rose out of the pool would find far more useful than Kerimi ever had--all decrepitude...

(Character Theme Song Power Up)


Theme: "The World Is Not Enough" by Garbage

Spoiler

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nr2S0YgXWjA

What rose out of the pond was voluptuous beyond words. He was not fooled. He knew Kerimi had died in pain when she fell in. It may have looked as she did in her youth but it could not have been less her if she tried.

A naked, lustful hunger was in sulphur colored eyes, black hair falling in loops and curls all the way down her back, her clothes burned off but still clutching her lightsaber. Her face had that perfect arrangement that artists spend hours trying to chip into stone. A playful smirk crossed her face as she walked towards him, sultry, and curvacious, and with a horrible dark blot all over what had once been a gentle spirit.

"Joc-Cha-Ninn my love..." The unnamed woman said, flowing with Dark power. "Don't you see? It works. We can be young. Be beautiful. Be powerful. Be dark...together..."

Joc-Cha-Ninn guarded with his blade still. "For the sake of my friend Kerimi your death will be quick..."

The woman who had been Kerimi held out her arms, dropping her saber. He blinked, green eyes staring before he drove the saber right through her heart.

The woman skin taut and body muscular, barely reacted as the blade went through her chest. She felt the pain but the woman who had once been Kerimi had long since learned to control her reactions to pain, and this skill benefitted the woman who grabbed the wrist holding the saber to Joc-Cha-Ninn's shock, telekinetically shutting of the blade with a twitch of her fingers.

The Woman softly laid a hand in Joch-Cha-Ninn's face as the wound healed.

"Don't be such a stubborn fool..." the Woman whispered.

Joc-Cha-Ninn looked at her sadly. "I'll never turn to the Dark Side."

The Woman stroked his face lovingly, but he could see the bitter disappointment in sulphur eyes.

"Why?" She whispered back.

"You have misused divine power. And for such petty and loathsome ends at that." The old Jedi replied firmly, preparing himself for the Force.

"I remember when you were strong..." the Woman cooed. "When you could lift me with one arm. Am I not as beautiful as I was then? I remember how we stared at each other without meaning to...I was too scared to admit it back then."

He knew this would mean his end but he said it anyway.

"Don't you understand? You were beautiful...but that was when you were still Kerimi to me."

The Woman's head hung down a moment.

"If I cannot have you..." she said softly, her fingers twitching again, forcing his own arm holding the lightsaber to his throat.

"...then at the very least, I'll not part ways with you completely..."

Another finger twitch forced the lightsaber to activate, then swing through his neck, with her holding it in place while his body fell backward.

The Woman stared at the severed head held by her mind. The eyes fluttered. The lips still moved.

"After I get all the meat off, I'll put you on a nice platter where I can look at you..." the Woman who had been a once respected Jedi Consular said mounfully...



Maranon thought about that first rejection to this day. She dreamt it during her hibernation in her tomb, and it was the last thing that played out in her head as she was murdered by Penelope, the situations having painful similarities to one another.

She sat in an elegant black wooden chair in one corner of the suite like quarters of the starscape class yacht she had Force Persuaded a local Atrisian millionaire into giving away...along with a hefty chunk of his fortune. Not too much. Twenty-five million. Just enough to get comfy when she went all hedonistic.

She stared at the woman sleeping on the Queen sized bed with an aurodium frame and black bed drapes, the room tiled in lapis lazuli from Ryloth, ancient knight armors in the elegant, black marble floored room. Maple Harte was just starting to wake up. Sawa was tied up in heavy durasteel chains painstakingly enchanted by Maranon to suppress the powerful energy vampire's abilities in a room over. She had had the ship equipped droids dress her in the finest silks, having kept her preserved in a stasis chamber while going back to Katanos Seven to get some things. It had saddened her to see it like that. All that dust. Damn the mining. Her tomb palace was in utter shambles, but she had found her royal attire, black, hugging the body and laced with black embroidery of spider web designs.

The other was her crown, for even a former queen must not be without her crown.

Maranon did not have a crown the way most queens do. Hers was very small, in the form of a clawed hand guard for the lightsaber it adorned, an elegant, tastefully made hilt of black and brass, resting on her gown's belt.

Maple stirred, than shot awake, wearing a red Atrisian Kimono, her green eyes blinking for a second in confusion before both eyes locked on Maranon.

"Hello, Gorgeous..."

"You've resurrected fully." Maple said, getting real nervous at the sheer level of dark power she felt. It had been bad when Maranon was a lich. It was ten times worse now that she was back.

"You look even more delicious in person..." Maranon said, rising from the seat. Maple tried not to swoon as that power called to her, like it did in [member="Sawa Ike"]

"What have you done with Sawa?"

"She lives...but enough about the prefect..."

"Prefect?" Maple repeated, getting out of the bed.

"Ancient history..." Maranon answered. "Gods she was sooooo lovestruck with Ni-Ne back then. It made her hot, but in a cutesy way. Good if you want a snack..." the former Queen said strutting towards her with a stare as sultry as her grin was pleasing, circling the green eyed former Jedi, who kept still, feeling the raw pull of the ancient Zeltron.

"...but bad if you want something...more...of course its the opposite problem she has nowadays...nowadays...one taste simply isn't enough is it?" Maranon joked.

"If you think you can brainwash me into falling into your arms--"

"I have never needed to brainwash anyone into my arms..." Maranon proclaimed, staring into Maple's green eyes, open lust and hunger communicated by sulphur eyes. "I don't need to. They always go into my arms. Always. Even Adra Divv, though she liked to be shown power. It was our way of flirting..."

Maranon took a step closer. Maple felt an upswell of lust and the darkness within.

"I have so much to offer..." Maranon whispered coyly.

"Where are we heading?" Maple asked absentminded, fixing on Maranon's lips.

"My birth planet, Zeltros...I have a castle there..."

"Another?" Maple asked.

"You'll like it...wide spaces, the sights..." Maranon breathed, getting closer.

"The sounds...an endless celebration...I never went there, you know, when I was younger...so much passion...it was intoxicating when I did..."

"And what happens once we get there?"

Maranon considered the question.

"Well, hopefully us making out...like, a lot..." the ex-Queen answered lustfully as she drew closer. Maple's heart pounded, her attraction to femme fatales in a frenzy.

"You and I are not so different..." Maranon breathed again, hand slinking to Maple's wrist. "We were promised so much...weren't we? That we would make a difference? That we wouldn't be alone..."

Slender pink fingers entwined with tan ones. The tan fingers clutched tighter without meaning to.

"That we wouldn't be afraid..." Maranon trailed into a whisper, closing the distance.

"Are you going to kill Sawa?" Maple asked, holding Maranon's hungry stare.

Maranon gave it pause. "Well I certainly can't let her off with just a tickle torture after eating most of my spirit, now can I? Hmmm...tell you what...we'll leave an...open question..." Maranon offered coyly. "Until then, she is a prisoner. And you? You're my guest."

"What do you want from me, Maranon?" Maple asked just as quietly.

Maranon chuckled.

"I am rebuilding my power base. I shall rule, elsewhere, but a ruler must have a consort. Imagine it Harte...throngs of subjects as far as the eye can see, worshipping you on their knees, adoring us as we walk the centuries unaging...growing ever more powerful..." Maranon answered, telekinetically pulling the slender bounty hunter towards her with telekinesis with a twitch of her finger.

"In public, I would be the ruler...in private...your slave..." the Sith almost hissed. "You need but give the command, and I would murder whoever, in front of you. Whisper it in my ear and a city burns, their bodies laid on spikes for your delightful eyes to gloat over."

"You think such butchery could make me love you?" Maple asked.

Maranon countered. "If you commanded it and I did it...would it?"

Maple didn't answer.

Maranon tsk-tsked her. "Never ask a question if you are not prepared to ask--or answer--the real question behind the one on your lips...your delicious, yummy looking lips." Maranon cooed.

Maple felt her heart beat faster being so close to her. "If I say no?"

Maranon made a face. "I'd be crestfallen..." she thought, remembering her first love. She obsessed over getting what she wanted in many things but even she knew her reaction had been stunningly immature.

"You didn't really answer me."

"If you only stay out of fear of being killed its not really a relationship. Merely captive to captor. What pleasure could be found in that?" Maranon asked. "I won't compel you to stay. Darth Maranon does not beg. I merely ask you spend a few days with me, to see how much more you could have. For example...you know what I love the most about dresses?" Maranon asked slyly.

Maple developed an inquisitive expression. "What?"

Maranon reached behind her gown and undid to simple clasps. The shadowy garment dropped off a nude frame.

"They can be taken off..." Maranon answered with a smirk.

Maple's self control failed her completely. Completely.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"] [member="Maple Harte"]

She felt pain, her wrists bound in durasteel... what should have been easy to break she couldn't as she felt it. The alchemy within the chains themselves to make them stronger when she awakened and the golden fire rings of her eyes. She was looking and felt for the force. THe chains disrupted it before she was moving to test her grips. She was looking at the restraints and her hearing could listen to Maple and Maranon talking.. she remembered.. she remembered a lot more then she had thought. Her childhood... when she and Ni-Ne had been in school and ran into the mountains... she had been there and xavier... he had known her.

"Scarlet dreams are tyrants nightmares.... Crimson'd blades vermilion dreams.... Cinnabar shadows masking lights glare... Red that splatters 'cross the field... On spheres of all the rainbow hues... She wields aloft her rouge-tinged rage... She's born of blood, so sings the muse... And now no world can be her cage... Some say she'll come in cardinal twilight... And some: when ruby dawn is near... But if your soul is black as midnight... THen know dark soul she comes for you..." She could hear the song there in the room. The one who was sitting there. Her zither set up, the image of her was familiar.

"You." She said it while looking at her. A thick and huefty looking kimono that covered her frame but Sawa knew her well... from her dreams and from the Necropolis... everything that they were doing. Dusky skin with deep intense brown eyes, forearms corded with muscles that flex powerfully with every slight movement she makes ,a flat, hard stomach, and slender, powerful thighs that propel her forward with panther-like grace. Sawa had known her and she was a Keisei who her and Ni-Ne had met... she was something beautiful but her singing was different as she knew the songs of ancient Atrisia... an oral history.

She sang still though and remained there looking at her a Keisei... a force user and she had awakened much in the pair showing them the force in a way.... she had taught them a few things but not much and when Sawa had escaped with Xavier... fleeing and becoming his queen. she had sent for her maybe her only remaining friend at the time. "Well I am in your head... delusions and all... but you know that." THe voice was there and she could hear more going on as she tested the chains again then her own hands. Feeling where they hurt and squeezed as the pain shot through her arms and made her vision red at the edges.

Her teeth ground before she felt the wet pop of her thumbs and her hands became smaller to slid through the restraints. Her legs would be different and take time but she would have it no doubt. Maple was many things but selfish and quick not exatly one of them when she slumped forward and crouched down. Without the fuzz of the chains against her presence she could think about the force and had it flowing throughout her body while the keisei clapped her hands and cheered her on. Her vision swam when she was there and popped her thumbs back into place as she wanted to scream out... it wasn't the first time she had been held in bonds.

"Always impressive." The thick voice came and she looked at the object of what had come here... why was she going crazy again. "Not now." She could remmeber when he had done something like this to her... he was a cruel man compared to how he presented himself and it had taken time to try and break her... if he hadn't threatened Ni-Ne she might have stayed firmly under his domination as opposed to ripping his heart out. Aoi wouldn't have turned out the way she was and then Elise.... Kurenai and her children. All part of a chain that she couldn't see to break when it was coming up and she watched Him holding a mental image of Midori.

"Oh come now, you are going mad with everything... all those thoughts rattling around in that head of yours... all those scenarios playing out... just imagine how she is stealing another one you care about." Midori was looking at her, the keisei... Xavier and she slipped her foot out of the one restraint and then the other falling to the floor. Her bones adjusting and relocating as she looked to the raw flayed sections of her ankles. A snarl in her throat but she was moving and couldn't fight in this condition. Even if she could draw on her servants across this distance... even if she could fight and turn Maple back to helping her it would be a lot harder with her in the flesh.

She was movign and getting up, feeling the force and her anger moving her body faster and harder then anything. She had healed initially and the dream world had only fueled her anger when she had gotten out. Her own minds desires that she didn't speak about before she was moving through the ship and looked out a viewport to find where they were. Zeltros she could see it from here and it was always a beautiful sight.. she knew the jedi had come here and mostly stayed concealed... the few gangs left operating on the world were of a higher class and quality. "Perfect." She said it and was moving as her bloody footprints were on the floors and she stumbled.

"Maple." She said it and pulled at that invisible cord you got when you fed from someone and she tugged to try and break her hold remembering all of the things that they had seen before she was standing near one of the airlocks and snarled. Drawing on the force and making a bubble around herself. Enough to protect from vacuum and s he had only done this once before... and it was going to hurt as she let the anger and her rage fuel her strength thinking on the pain in her body. THe airlock opened... more she slammed into it ripping at the hinges and felt herself falling towards the planet as she was sucked out and it would only hold for a few moments...

A heart beat or three depending but long enough when she could feel the weightlessness and heat slamming into her chest threatening to burn away everything. She used the force to control her descent with a cushion as she was coming down towards the planet.... her anger there as the heat made her need to close her eyes... pain and everything coursing through her veins when she felt the heat disappear and then she was in freefall and her cocoon became a massive cushion she was using to slow her decent and shield her from the impact that was going to come. She didn't know where she was going but allowed the force to shield her.

Still hurt... as her body slammed into the cushion that slammed into the mountain and then bounced and had her rolling down it. Her body protesting as it felt like everything within her was burnt and broken. She could see patches of ehr skin where it had been charred from the heat and where some bones were protruding from her body. She laid there and choked on blood and tears but felt something touching her... someone and looked at the zeltron. pink skin, purple hair and skimpy clothing.. everything one needed as she seemed to think Sawa had been there when the crash happened not was the crash.

"I...I...." She said it but her words were choked off when she was being picked up and held closer to her chest for the moment to get her clear of it. She could smell the blood under the surface of her skin and suddenly her fangs had come into place and she heard gasping. The vice like grip on her sending energy and sustenance into her body as she could feel herself healing and started to draw on everything that made this being special. She fell back over and was standing over her... kneeling and suckling as her neck as she pulled away and looked into her face. The girl was gasping and had that look of why in her eyes before Sawa closed them.

"Shhh shhh." Where she was moving and looking though she could see the streets and had enough strength for now to stand and walk her body mostly healed. She still looked disheveled and nude with blood and burned areas covering her but she had head the superficial wounds... she needed to get stronger and if Maranon was here it was for a purpose. The sith lord herself stumbled in the streets and got looks as they thought she was one some sort of spice trip and didn't know what was happening to her... then she grabbed one of the people passing by and pulled them into an alley kissing and grabbing... their friend was right there trying to stop her.

But she gave in once Sawa touched her and pulled at that party spirit... having the two of them there she brought both of their heads to her neck and held them feeding off of the energy they had at first and then moved to bite down and heal herself. The other was kissing and pinned to the wall as the energy vampire illicit feeling for them to feed off of and she snarled dropping the first.. then the second who fell to the ground gasping. Sawa stood a little taller and shed the last looks of herself being hurt but she still had the mental state as it was all coming back to her and she felt a roar in her throat. "Use it." The mental image of Midori spoke. "Use it."

She snarled and then roared something fierce and primal in her throat but was moving through the city. She would hurt down Maranon... she would reclaim and find Maple... winning her back and then she would return and make sure Ni-Ne was safe... she would put the sith witch back into the ground so deep she couldn't be found by anyone save her and even then the memories would only serve to show why she was far stronger then the zeltron could have ever hoped to be. She needed to find more food.. stronger food these party goers were easy to manipulate even whens he was injured.. no she needed something strong to make herself strong again.

 

[Maranon]

Maranon had felt [member="Sawa Ike"] escaping. The ancient Queen would have stopped her under other circumstances, but she had been too...'busy'...with Maple. She hadn't really had a chance to catch up to it until after Maple was good and exhausted, and Maranon had only barely caught up to Sawa as she released herself into space, falling to the atmosphere of Zeltros. Maranon had been in a blue bathrobe with little black hearts on it and could only snicker in delight as she felt Sawa burn.

"Run run run, Shojo..." Maranon whispered. "Though I gotta admit you have been eating your vegetables..."

Maranon knew she would be back. No way she would not. She could feel the rage the humiliated Sith Lord projected even from here. How delightful. She was thirsting for vengeance. Maranon would let her. She craved a good scrape now and then. She would ultra-humiliate Sawa, sleep with Maple repeatedly afterward and who knows? Brunch, perhaps? Maranon knew she was thousands of years out of date on the latest fashions.

"Maranon?"

The Zeltron turned, smiling at delight at Maple, who, having given free reign to her weakness for Femme Fatales, had tapped into her darker emotions as she surrendered to Maranon a while back. Her skin was now paler, green eyes dulled in vibrancy and color, brown hair a little blacker. She was in her own red kimono, her hair disheveled.

"Hey Maple, wanna see my impression of Darth Shojo?" Maranon asked, grinning sadistically.

Maple looked, noticed Sawa had escaped, had felt the ancient vampire call out to her while Maranon used their mutual passions to coax the ex-shadow ever closer to the darkness...and yet, did not seem perturbed by this. Sawa was a master of seduction...but Maranon had pulled her even closer to the Dark...and feeling that turmoil was not something she was used to.

She stared at Maranon. "I'll bite..."

Maranon took a nearby paper sheet on a desk, crunched it to a ball, and let it hover, speaking dark words that made it catch fire as it dropped to the surface of the floor.

Maple stared. "She's gonna try and kill you. You do know that, don't you? You made her burn up on re-entry, that chit's personal, now.

"Well, she shouldn't have eaten me..." Maranon replied irritably, but fascinated by this change. Maple would have been ordinarily defiant, furious about someone she cared for being hurt. Why was she taking it so well?

Did she really believe Sawa could triumph, in spite of it all? Now that Maranon thought about it, how the hell had Sawa survived re-entry? She had never heard of anyone pulling that off.

The Prefect was powerful, she would give her that. But that was when Maranon had been a nasty rotting lich. Now that she lived surely she could give Sawa the old one-two punch.

Maranon then covered this moment of doubt by smiling and stroked Maple's cheek.

"Well, while Shojo goes to find herself some poor horror film victim to snack on while no doubt swearing a brutal vendetta...are you ready to go to Zeltros?"

Maple smiled. For a split second Maranon felt a shiver of delight as she saw Maple's eyes turn sulphur.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"]

Sawa had moved through the city, it was still as she always remembered and standing there in the street the party atmosphere was calming her down... a dangerous aspect of zeltros was just that. it didn't have wars or riots.. it rarely had crime if you didn't count a few places which were off the beaten path. SHe was moving now through some of them and she was still weakened... but the warmth of her anger was there.. the hatred was like a warm feeling in her body that kept her blood pumping as she looked up with a snarl for the moment when someone came close to her and was trying to grope her. She moved through the streets and stopped in front of a building.

The old palace, decimated in an orbital strike by the one sith and partially rebuilt by her with some influences. Sawa moved through one of the doors and a guard tried to stop her. "Hey you can't be..." Her worlds stopped in her throat when she observed who is was behind the black hair that was longer. Regenerating as it were her hair was growing and thickly banged around her head. Sawa looked up and snarled but was led through as the sounds of cafarels were coming. She entered through the secret door, a back entrance that was for getting out yes but it surprised a few of them as they were in the waters. ONe of them spoke. "Master."

Sawa's legacy, something she had well set up across the galaxy... harems of different servants who waited for her who longed to be around her and they wanted to feed her in different ways. She sank into the waters with what clothing she had on and could feel some fo them move to her. THey were supporting her and her attendant here... not a servant the one who oversaw the old palace spoke. "Welcome back... I am sorry we didn't know you were arriving master." Sawa looked up and her throat was dry... scratchy and she hungered as she spoke. "Not much choice, I hunger." She snarled and one of her servants was offering her wrist as Sawa pulled at the energy and blood of her.

Sawa was feeding and she could feel maple.. with her senses stronger and becoming restored she was able to feel a whole lot more and while Maranon had been a lich... a corpse in the ground she had been becoming stronger and studying the darkside. Her presence going through the planet... generating and connecting to the planet itself. She spent her time working the darkside and pulled more of it as she felt the people and they were everywhere... above the planet was Maranon as a dark presence and she went along that cord to Maple... blood was powerful and she focused to pull as tug at her mind. "Maple."

She said it as a whisper and inhaled deeply the scent of flowers in the water around her. the sounds of the water lapping at her body when she didn't know where they were going but likely to the new palace where the monarchs were. IF MAranon was going to retake the planrt she would have to get them gone but also the people on her side... things had changed since her time. Zeltros was in many ways better with its defesnive fleet, it had a jedi temple she knew on the world under the city and they would be around if there were problems but it also still had the people and revelry, hedonism were an important thing on the planet itself.

"Maple please." She tried to giv ethe feeling of hurt and underlying need of fear. If maple was lost to the zeltron it wouldn't be easy to bring her back but this had been what was planned of them when they first met. Using Maple and having her it was what they had fought against and now she was giving in... she was seduced by the danger and the power. Sawa was reaching out but she was still weak... she didn't know if Ni-Ne was free or alive... Maranon cold have done anything to her when she had passed out and that rage was there under the surface. SHe looked up. "Yayoa." She got a looked at the half breed... who bowed.

"Yes master." She was small, an atrisian and zeltron child with soft pink skin that was almost pale, black red hair and there was many other things. She had accentuated curves from her mother which made her attractive to most from her looks and she always wore a mixture of outfits. Zeltronian stylized atrisian garb. "Contact Aoi and tell her where I am." She got a nod from the woman and she was heading off as Sawa came up out of the water and stood there... "I need a groomer." She said looking at herself in a small mirror as some of them were heading off to join her and help her with it. THe cafarels had been banned and outlawed under the queen... well the offworlder queen.

THat meant little to her the narrative that crime was so rampant on zeltros well then Sawa would protect and support them. She would ensure that the zeltrons thrived in this new atmosphere of gutting a cultural part of the species simply because you lacked understanding. Sawa sneered seeing it and she was in her chambers being groomed and fixed up for the moment while she laid there in the dream silk sheets. She needed to rest and dream and allow herself to move around the world growing and stopping Maranon... or at least getting Maple away from her. She could have zeltros and the two fo them would fight again but... Maple was more important then simple vengeance.

 

[Maranon]

The Starscape Class Yacht traveled across the world in an endless, constant celebration, going past the fancier cities and to one of the most ancient and isolated forests on Zeltros, towards a property that had been abandoned countless thousands of years and having clearly seen better days, but still quite intact. Maple watched this, surprised that Maranon was comfortable with a long abandoned ruin in admittedly beautiful woodlands peppered by fields of yellow and black roses. But as Maple thought on it more it made sense: Maranon had an entire underground palace complex. For such a hedonist and attention seeker, she sure seemed to like nesting in places people normally would not willingly explore.

The Castle was a magnificent ruin, of blocky, rectangular layouts, with spires and minarets having since fallen to disrepair, a blocky, central tower of smooth black stone, chipped and damaged. The sun shone on its blackened stone revealing its remnant gloss.

"So she craves familiarity...possible vulnerability..." Maple speculated under her breath as the luxurious yacht set down on the remains of a stone docking pad shaped like a pentagon, cracked and ancient. It was as they set down that Maple felt the power coursing through this place. Maranon had hexed the place to keep it hidden. That she could hex so massive a structure was testament to how scarily powerful she was. Maple was under no illusion she could defeat Maranon on her own. There were limits to what a Marksman could do. They focused on taking care of the problem before it became an even bigger problem. When the problem was already as big a one as Maranon represented, it was time to gracefully bow out and hand the problem off to equally powerful Jedi.

Or Sith, in the case of [member="Sawa Ike"] who was like fixing to visit unholy hell on Maranon. She felt Sawa try to scratch at her but could not get the full import of what she was trying to communicate. Maranon was disrupting them somehow with magic. But much to her surprise, she saw the Silent Erika docked on a seperate pad.

Maple was not sure she wanted to stop Maranon. The woman had her charm despite having been a horrible lich. Plus she had the most delightful...instincts.

Maple tried to remind herself this woman would have killed everyone on Katanos Seven to be reborn. She was a monster. It was a Tarkin-scale act she had attempted.

Maple wanted to be seduced by her again. Dhe knew it was wrong. She still wanted another go.

Speak of the devil...

Maranon strode into Maple's quarters in her long, thin black gown with spiderweb pattern. Maple got a good look at her clawed lightsaber, made of black and bronze materials. It had an elegant, yet cruel looking profile and it seemed to fit her perfectly.

"I see you hired someone to have the Silent Erika flown here." Maple spoke with genuine surprise.

"A show of good faith..." Maranon replied smoothly and seductively, walking up to her and observing The Silent Erika. Maranon's jaw fell open as she got a look at it for the first time.

"Holy chit, that's your starship?" Maranon said in wonder, instantly falling in love with the profile of a J-Type 327 Nubian in black chromium.

"Where can I get one?" Maranon asked with a smile.

"Normally I'd answer Naboo Royalty but if you scout you can still find one or two that have escaped the scrutiny of the Theed Engineers. Got mine from my childhood hero, Lur Redtide."

"You travel in a vessel of royalty. Fitting for a Queen's consort." Maranon remarked, seductive smile spreading. Maple felt butterflies in her stomach as she rose in her red kimono, remembering how utterly she had submitted to her the first time. She took Maranon's hand and followed her out of the yacht and down to the loading ramp. Maple felt the exotic winds of Zeltros hit her, smelled the spices from feasts and wines carry even this far from the city. For someone who claimed to love the frenzy of passion it once more called to seeming contradiction in Maranon that not only would she choose to rely on ruins (even ruinous splendor as this) but would also put the seat of power far from society.

"This used to be a summer home. I would come here when I wanted to spend a few months fething off the cares of the galaxy in privacy.

Maranon did not mention it was also where she had met Penelope, and that even seeing it in its ruined state still evoked happy memories of Penelope and her green eyes. She hid this behind the whole arrogant queen demeanor she had built up over the years, escorting Maple through the stone aisle that led to the front gates of the castle.

A clenched hand and Maranon's power raised the heavy, massive iron gates enough to move under getting through the main courtyard of the castle, overgrown with ivy and black roses, statues of mechanical knights in plate armor holding power lances formed an arch to the main entrance. Maranon spoke words of dark magic, and the bronze doors glowed with black runes before parting.

Maple's eyes dropped.

The interior was immaculate, its walls covered in red amber, its floors in gold patterned marble. The architecture was Alderaanian-Gothic style, lots of arches and Stone Gargoyles, each with six wings and six eyes looming and snarling from mounts near the top of the arches. This was just the entrance Foyer.

"Magic can keep immaculate what would otherwise fall under the cruel judgement of time." Maranon explained softly. "Once we get it fixed up on the outside its all yours, my dear."

"All...mine?" Maple stammered.

Maranon smiled seductively, stroking Maple's chin.

"All of it..."

Maple followed the dark queen into her magical sanctum.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"]

The sounds of the water as it lapped against her came bringing her back to reality and Sawa opened her eyes. She could see Aoi there in front of herself. the girl had come all the way from Atrisia with Lien the admiral of what remained of the atrisian defense forces. "You came." She said it with a smile curling her face as Aoi looked down at her and brought a towel with her sliced eye. She had been harmed long ago in a way she couldn't heal properly. Her eye patched was there with the black line of a ound. her furred kimono and sword were at her side. Her black hair in a top know, an almost permanent sneer on her face.

"Can you get dressed mother." She said it but Sawa rose up and slid herself into the kimono as Lien stood there. The aged admial was well skilled and she had survived with the Atrisian forces leading them to victory where she could and keeping them safe. The sith herself though respected her talents enough and walked overlooking at her. "Admiral." She smiled feeling it tug at her lips. Aoi was standing there and the three of them started to walk towards one of the rooms as Sawa sat down. "Are Raza and Akela still alive daughter... I know that temper of yours can be a little much."

She looked at her and the sounds of K1 as he came into the room and spun around looking at her. She actually felt herself smiling seeing the droid come to her side when she sat down and turned to looked at Aoi. Raza and Akela followed with a look at her and both rushed over to her side bowing down and wrapping their arms around her legs. "Master." The pair looked up and she could see they had been crying... it must have been closer to death for her then she had thought. She was certain a few might have been able to feel her passing or hurt like she was. The energy vampire was still fuzzy about things.

"I see... and what of the ship?" She looked as Aoi sat down and spoke. "The stasis chamber was opened, Ni-Ne has escaped and taken her children with her. We didn't have enough Onna to contain all of them." She said it and was looking at her mother with a look on her face.Sawa turned her attention towards her but she leaned back a little working out a plan and trying to think about what they would be able to do. She would have to find Ni-Ne... she would have to fight her most likely but she didn't have the heart to kill her. She was trying to figure it out when she spoke.

|"I shall have to deal with her myself... after this. Whatever Maranon is planning here she has Maple and I want to her head." She had a snarl on her face though as Aoi perked up looking at her. "Hmm I do like the idea of violence and if it is against someone who is strong enough to hurt you well then that shall be something exciting." She grinned letting her fangs snap into place as she touched the sword on her hip. With a look at her mother though she relaxed. "So what is the plan?" Sawa looked at her as Lien remained seated."Firstwe need to let the admiral return to Atrisia, then with Akela and Raza we will track and handle Maranons plan."

The got some looks as she turned her head down to the two at her feet. The Admiral was leaving and bowed with a nod of her head. Saluting to Aoi before she was out of the room. Aoi looked at her mother. "What about you? Are you going to be able to fight or are you still trying to recover?" Sawa thought about it and she spoke. "I still need more energy, while a few party goers here and there can feed me.. I need something more substantial." She looked at the pair and licked her dry lips bringing both of them up. "Thank you for bringing my servants. They can be one of my favorite meals."

She looked at them as Aoi rolled her eyes and stood up. "THen I shall leave you to it mother." Walking away Aoi left the room as one of the zeltron servants started playing music. She was walking outside of the building and it was a place she didn't like being in. Her thoughts drifted to well what they might discover.She didn't partake like her mother, her husband was dead... long dead and buried on Atrisia. She didn't go after another outside of once or twice a century... She preferred it that way. Instead walking the streets and allowing herself to see some of the party goers around her.

She walked down the street and felt herself stalking into a bar. She knew it and it had been around for a few thousand years. There was another reason why she came here from time to time each century. Taking a seat as a woman looked up at her, the golden blonde of her hair, the icy blue eyes and pale flesh that was smooth. "You came back." She spoke and sat there nursing a drink as Aoi sat down. She looked at the woman and she smelled the same, she sat the same but she had changed from a smuggler who had denounced death as a state of mind and amused the energy vampire.

"You are as endless as ever I suppose... still cheating death?" Saying it made it so and she held her wrist out a golden nail slipping onto her finger as she offered it. An infusion that should she wish it would keep her still.. ageless for another century. She looked at her and moved forward taking her infusion with a nod. "I have had ups, downs, fallen from grace and lived, loved... but death... death is permanent... I am not ready for that.I have so much living left to do and besides I love this life or life times. I ever tell you about the time I was almost burned as a witch."

She said it with a laugh though and Aoi stayed there with her throughout the night as Sawa was absorbing energy from the others. Aoi could feel it as her day with the endless went about. Meanwhile Lien had returned to the ship. The Onna she had brought with her were in face masks to protect from the pheromones and she entered the hanger area. Looking at a few of the others as she got information on what they needed to provide to get going. Aoi was here and they had brought Sawa's ship along with some of her other servants. Dozens of handmaidens for show but she was heading up to return.

 

[Maranon]

Maple was beside herself exploring the inside of the castle, noting its cathedral like qualities on the interior. Maranon kept a slow pace behind her, watching as Maple's excited, mentally taxed mind beheld the splendor, the engraved and ornamented ribvaults and archways that gave. Maranon's breath stopped as the glitter from Maple's green eyes fell on the lone, gorgeous former queen.

She looked so like Penelope in that instant. Maranon wondered if they might not be related. Penelope had never revealed her last name. She was just "Penelope".

Penelope had made her feel like Joc-Cha-Ninn used to...except she had not rejected the chance to be with her.

Again, the old guilt welled up in the ancient Sith. So many mistakes. Not just with Penelope but with all her lovers.

Why could she not find success in that one department?! She could rend starships or Maple's lithe delicious looking figure in two, she could rule a planet, shoot the eyebrows off someone's face but she could not have a successful relationship?!

That was seventy five percent of the reason she'd gone Dark Side to begin with, an angered, doubting thought escaped. What the hell was the point of any of this if she couldn't keep a lover. Vanity however, prevented her from seeing her own flaws completely.

As Maple explored, Maranon herself got reacquainted with the interior of her castle, hands running over, feeling the contrast between warm fingers and cold objects. She had almost forgotten the joy of merely touching an object having been dead for so long. Just carrying Maple to the ship after giving Sawa the old one-two had been a reward itself.

It had been fun wrapping Sawa in chains. If only she had not consumed her spirit. But she had made that chit personal when she had done that.

Maple explored the white and gold foyer, circular in shape and lined with primitive looking black stone columns with primitive stone sconces carrying iron torches that burned with purple flame. She spotted Maranon's audience throne, made of white marble brick with golden angel statues holding spears guarded the sides of its arms.

Maple stepped to the almost pearlescent chair, hands running over an elegant, geometrically considered surface of smooth blocks arranged as a great seat.

Maple turned to her with an excited, almost manic stare to her toothy grin.

"Can I sit on it?"

"After asking that question in such a dirty way of course..." Maranon nodded, grinning.

Maple took a seat and her eyes suddenly looked out and saw only throngs of worshippers in vast gathered parades in her honor. Much to Maple's delight they were launching great purple fireworks into the air of a city whose buildings were encrusted with jewels.

She felt power raging through her veins. Maranon was right next to her suddenly.

"The throne senses power in those who are worthy..." Maranon cooed. "It senses it in you it seems."

Maple looked entranced by the lovely crowds and said nothing. "And you used to have so many cheer for you?"

"All the time. When I came to Katanos Seven I was awed at how so many were willing to bow. They'll all bow to us, Uri. All of us...even that naked beast that blindsided me in the the tomb while we were having our first chat. As soon as I figure out her magic I'll enslave it, and keep it forever at bay from you..."

Maple turned from the nonexistent crowds and Maranon smiled, running her hands playfully through Maple's hair.

"You would...you can keep it out of my nightmares?" She asked and Maranon knew she had found a route to Maple accepting the Dark Side. Not a sure fire route, but a route all the same.

"Well, as soon as I figure out how its system of magic works. Judging by that nasty sting I got when it attacked it felt like a combination of Lunar and Shadow Magic...Atrisian in origin..."

"You know lots of magic. Won't any magical solution do?" Maple asked.

"I wish. The more you learn, the more you realize how important it is to understand how a new magic system works in the first place before you try and combat it. Otherwise you could create unintended consequences from your spells that could kill you in gruesome ways. But I have yet to meet a magical system I couldn't figure out..." Maranon explained folding her hands behind her back as she circled the throne on which Maple sat.

How much do you know about magic?" Maple asked in genuine curiosity.

"My dear, I was studying Magic systems when the official Jedi policy was to put the texts in Resin whenever they were encountered. You'll find studying magic increases your understnding of The Force. Experience with controlling inherently chaotic forces gives one an edge in understanding forces governed by specific laws. It takes great will to master magic, maybe more than it takes to solely master the Force for personal usage.

Maranon whispered a few words under her breath, breaking The Assessment Throne's illusory effects on Maple, delighted that it had generated a crowd as large as her own...the larger the crowd, the greater the potential in magic. Maple's was very very high.

Maple rose from the throne following Maranon down stern halls of black and white stone leading to a large mechanical door with an arch that depicted skeletal sculptures bidding onlookers welcome.

Maranon waved her hand and the heavy door clicked and split open. Maple's jaw dropped. It was a library that resembled towers topped by skeletons, thousands of thick books all going to the top in a spiral. There was five towers in all, each styled like the towers of the Jedi Temple Ziggurat but in all black stone, surrounded by a great circular stone library shelf, recessed deep into the earth and accessed by a glasteel catwalk and descending staircase, which they were currently on.

"I've collected many tomes of wisdom over the years. I never trust electronics for this sort of thing. All it takes is some bastard with a data stick or pad and its all gone. At least here they can't steal the whole library.

"Old school...gotta admire that..." Maple admitted, as she followed Maranon into the library.

Maranon for her part was happy to show off the different genres...everything from archeology to psychological profiling. She had tried to read as many of the books as she could.

She had built it for Penelope, who loved books. Four hundred million credits for it all.

"Are you much of a bookworm?"

"I used to be..." Maple replied. "I...stopped being one after a certain point. Still though, I don't mind curling up with a nice long book every now and then..."

"Favorite type?"

"Adventure."

"I devoured books when I was younger...couldn't get enough of them..." Maranon admitted. "Wasn't until I was old that I realized how I had never used any of what I learned for myself. But hopefully, with you around...I might actually enjoy passing on what I have learned..."

"You never found any fufilment, ever, as a Jedi?"

"Well, I did...at first...but knowledge is of little use when it can't get you what you really want..." Maranon answered, that edge of bitterness entering her voice.

"Do you ever regret anything?" Maple asked gently.

Maranon went back to the moment she felt her body failing from Synox at Penelope's lips. Of all the ways Penelope could have chosen to take her out it had always irked Maranon badly that Penelope had just went sexy licensed supervillainess and taking her out with a kiss. Maranon loved kissing. She loved it ever since she had first tried it. To be taken out by one was...beyond horrible to someone who for all her corruption still craved affection, which in the end only served to make her more tragic and pathetic than menacing. Not that Maranon was reasonable enough to admit this to herself.

"Are you talking about my attempt to murder everyone on Katanos Seven or farther back?"

"Either. Both." was Maple's answer.

Maranon shrugged.

"I regret all my mistakes..." she confessed, descending the staircase. Maple followed quickly after, in spite of knowing how horribly dangerous Maranon was, partly because she wanted to understand, but also because Maranon was...well...yum.

[member="Sawa Ike"]

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"]

Aoi had left, Lien had departed the system and Sawa was in the middle of recovering. She was suspended in the waters of the chamber. The others around her and the energy going into her body while her eyes fluttered. She reached out with the force and crawled tooth and nail along that invisible cord towards Maple and locating her as she could feel the palace on the outskirts. Zeltros was large, zeltros was wonderful and she could feel much more now with her mind expanding from the energy she could pull. The power of he parties, the throngs of people all happy and enjoying themselves.

It was intoxicating to drink each one in but she was drifting from person to person, staying only a moment to siphon and drink but never have more. They would think this time had been different... that something was there and have a shiver but she touched them only briefly before she was standing there and could feel Maple who was enthralled. Her sneer came up, a snarl bringing her fangs out but she couldn't attack. She danced away in the feeling letting it retract before she opened her eyes. The damage to her body repaired, the mental fatigue recovered and shoulders rolled.

"Master what is it?" One of the servants asked as she lounged there in the waters. Trailing a finger along the surface of it. She allowed herself a brief flicker of boredom but not at what was happening. THey were on a party world and their master had them kept inside here. Not... enjoying or bringing others back to the estate for the party itself. "You want to go outside my sweet child?" The girl perked her head up and moved into the water sliding in and almost slithering within it. No ripples as she came to her masters hand and remained there. "Oh yes my master."

A smile tugged at her lips as she looked over at some of it. She could feel more of the party atmosphere of the world until she rose out of the water and stood there. She let it roll off of her skin before she was walking around the room. A look on her face before she stepped out completely... seeing the others follow and she motioned them off towards the doors themselves. She stood on a terrace overlookig the party down below and turned her head and eyes to look in the distance at where Maranon was... she sneered a little but there was a power here... there was a need and she just needed to gather her forces.

"Bring me the Dark Angels." She was leaving it there and with the Dark Angels here at least she would have some forces, Aoi had given her a few things that they had recovered... her saber and sword but she was going to ned to keep Maple calm or occupied... or at least distracted.It wasn't a great thing but.... worse case scenario was have some of her more dangerous and curvaceous servants give her some eye candy. She wasn't going to kill Maple but she also wasn't going to try and let her remain under the sway of a creature like Maranon.... that sith queen was just to dangerous... also Maple was enjoyably fun to have around.

 

[Maranon]

Maple had once considered herself a bit of a bookworm. But it had been a long, long time since she had truly been afforded the chance to indulge. There were books here she had only heard about. Maranon had a fascinating section on the occult. More than once Maple had opened the text, hoping to catch any mention of the creature haunting her sleep or what it was. When the world around her went dark and she saw [member="Sawa Ike"], reaching out faintly, in the black, before the dark presence of Maranon made itself known as well. The former Queen was suddenly standing next to Maple in the blackness.

"She really likes you. In all fairness, I see why..." Maranon whispered in Maple's ear, though the former shadow's green gaze was locked on Sawa. Wow. This was a new situation. At least seven years ago, she would have been trying to kill them both of them.

Now...now they were fighting over her. Two Sith were fighting over her.

Bizarre didn't even start to cover this situation.

Maple realized the intense danger the locals might be in if they started fighting. Oh crap. Oh crap.

The last fifteen minutes of all those superhero films the studios had been releasing lately played out in her head. The focus was not on how epic it looked with the protagonist flying through the air punching the antagonist. No. It was all the people getting crushed or burned alive in the fight. Sawa alone would level a large village. Maranon would be dousing a fire with fuel.

"She wants to save you..." Maranon whispered. "I want to 'give' to you..."

Maple watched as Sawa's image receeded. The world came back to the skeleton library. Maple knew Maranon's power was actively trying to interfere with any attempt to communicate. Maple had mixed feelings about that.

She was not blind to her shelf life. Her madness would eventually consume her. Maple dreaded being nothing more than a mental patient in a cell. She'd half considered letting the bullets hit her someday. Toyed with it. At least she would die somewhat whole if that happened.

Maranon knew what buttons to push, just like Sawa did. And if how things had gone for both her and Sawa the last time around was any indication, she had been doing it longer. A large part of Maple was getting sorely tempted by the offer, fueled by a lifetime of watching blood run across every type of surface and terrain imaginable. Maranon knew how tempted, for she turned Maple's face toward her with a finger.

"Do you like her?"

"Yes." Maple admitted quietly. "That being said, I never thought someone who was probably gonna do some horrible, gory thing to me when we first met would grow on me so."

"Thats how it starts in this life. Inevitably, everyone gravitates to their true peer group." Maranon replied slyly, slinking up against her. Maple's heart beat slightly faster. Just touching the woman could be intoxicating. Like an illicit substance. Sawa however, tapped something primal in Maple. Maple saw something in Sawa. Something past the brutality. She was of the opinion that deep down, Sawa wanted to be a nice person.

When Maple looked at the gorgeous, muscular Zeltron in front of her, she did not see that. Maranon had committed to a materialistic existance. She was lonely in the process. It did not change the fact she had nearly murdered Katanos Seven. Maple almost didn't care about Katanos Seven suddenly, staring into those dark eyes that burned with a desire for everything. It scared and enthralled her.

She felt Maranon in her mind. An ancient, weary, but unbroken mind, still resolute in getting its way whenever possible. It was the same drive that made her such a good Marksman. It was what made her understand Maranon: The drive to succeed, without a point at the success. Unlike Maranon, Maple had not allowed herself to be consumed by that drive. Thought it had made her stronger. Being around the ex-queen made her want to give into that drive once more. She feared the Mind-Binder. Would she like Maranon to be the Mind-Binder? She feared the monster in her sleep. Skip. The zombie chopped down the front door to her house. Skip. Maranon's kiss pulled Maple out of the delusion.

"You spilt blood against an enemy that has long since won. You've paid your dues, the same way I did, and you've found the business wanting, the same way I have. Why not enjoy your life, really enjoy it?" Maranon asked, her force empathy picking up Maple's confusion and uncertainty and how it growed with each moment, as well as the growing desire to be possessed by Maranon, and to possess her also. Maranon was delighted by this. If she played her cards right she might not even have to coax Maple to kill Sawa...she would do it without prompting.

Maranon's breath stopped as Maple's eyes drudged up memories of Penelope and her failures.

The ancient Sith averted her stare as the memory of that last failure started again. "What's wrong?" Maple asked.

"Nothing." Maranon lied. "Spot any books you like?"

Maple's choice didn't do wonders for Maranon's peace of mind. She held up an ancient, faded book with the image of a great green castle on the front cover.

"The Tower Princess..." Maranon trailed, staring at Penelope's favorite book.

"What's it about?" Maple asked, studying her for weakness after realizing she had just rattled her somehow.

"It's about a princess, who devotes her life to securing her power, never coming down from the top of her fortified tower, only to...well, I won't spoil it..." Maranon answered too quickly, catching herself before she could speak more deeply on the subject.

"Did someone else like this book?" Maple asked intuitively.

"It was a long time ago. Don't let my hangups stop you." Maranon responded quickly, but hiding how distressed the book really made her. She had forgotten it was here, having been dead so long.

Not for the first time since waking, she caught herself wondering whatever had happened to Penelope. Had she died loved, unlike Maranon? Had she died with a loved one, unlike Maranon?

All those sacrifices and she still hadn't gotten what she wanted. She wondered if that made her less similar to Sawa, or more.

Maranon went to the shelf, plucking an old horror story she loved and turning back to Maple.

"Hungry?" Maranon asked, reading the first page, disappointed she had lost her passion for the old horror tale and placing it back.

"You still eat?" Maple asked.

"I'm not immortal, dear. My stomach does grumble..." Maranon remarked, shaking her head in amusement.

"You like pasta?" Maple asked.

Maranon took Maple's hand into hers, kissing it.

"I adore it..."

Maple blinked. "I'll cook..."

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"]

The Dark Angels, once a street gang that was raised up by Sawa... given equipment, artifacts and most of all funding for some of their operations to expand off of Atrisia and onto worlds throughout the core, deep core, mid rim and into wild space. Even the outer rim worlds and unknown regions had small operations that were trained to go under the nose of the others criminals. The leader she had placed in charge had even managed to recruit the old intelligence services of the SJO. their spies and operatives who were cast out into the cold and worked in hutt space making contacts.

"Master" The one who approached wasn't i charge she was the second in command, from ukiyo on Atrisian with her darker skin and hair. Face partially flayed from her actions and insults when she first met Sawa. Her eye was dead, face showing muscle and bone under a clear synthetic patch of skin... a way for her to remember her insolence she was looking at the jedi master and she raised an eyebrow seeing her. "Good you are here Ruby. I want you to tell Rae it is time and we are going to move forward with the plan. I want all of the Angels here on Zeltros on the streets searching for anyone who might serve Maranon."

She got a nod from Ruby as she was heading off, Rae entered and listened but remained hidden... not an easy feat for one such as her. Where Sawa was petite... Rae was large and built. Muscled with veins like metal cords under her skin. Lightly tanned from being outside and with cafarels in the fitness centers. She was taller then Sawa standing near seen foot, augmented by Atrisian scientists in the czar program Akio had implemented. Her muscles were thicker, bones denser and she fought just as fiercely as Sawa when she came in wearing a thin pair of shorts doubling for workout gear. A sports bra and her hair was short.

"Hey boss." She stood there for a moment as one of the smaller zeltrons... or half zeltrons came i behind her. Pink hair and pale skin with the lightest shades of pink. Rae held her in her lap as she sat down and presented several necklaces. "Some favors from the hot springs whenever you feel up to it they are looking to get them back boss." her grin was there on her face of amusement as she held the one close and she was like a kitten as her long pink hair was being stroked as she pressed herself into the curve of the womans neck. Super soldiers working for you since the empire fell was a powerful thing.

Sawa grinned and having the Angels moving around and searching would give her a chance but she knew where Maranon and Maple was and she could feel something there... Maranon was pressing against her mind to keep her out and Sawa thought about it but she was trying to play the mental games against her... she was trying to overpower the creature.. something they couldn't hope to do when she was youger and with Ni-Ne... no trying to out mental her wouldn't work and so that meant she would have to play the game... she was pushing and sliding along in the force searching.

"Lets try a new approach to this." She said it and looked standing up as she moved and walked with Rae standing up as she held the small half zeltron in her arms and the girl clutched closer to her. "She is really attached to you now isn't she?" A wicked grin came to her face. "Yeah boss, she enjoys all the new things I was able to introduce her to.... a small thing where I should be careful with virgins." She snickered but held the girl with ease when they walked and stood behind Sawa cooing her and soothing her to just remain there... the energy vampire was looking at some of the others.

"THis is the one though yes?" She looked at one of the hybrids they had recruited. An atrisian and zeltron child from one of her Onna that were selected for their skills. "Yes we were looking at her for the angels but given her skills and her family she could make a decent personal guard for you. We don't need a repeat of what happened based on Akala and Raza's report... between their partaking the leisures of the planet boss." There was a wicked smirk on her face but she turned back to look at the girl as Sawa motioned for her to be able to come and join her. "Impressive... most impressive, now my sweet Miyoung.... I have a task for you."

 

[Maranon]

Maranon had followed Maple back to the Silent Erika, admiring the white and red interior, slinking through it like and umbra-garbed ghost of rose skin, feeling Maple's soul in every part of the vessel. She had liked the sleek design, but being in the interior she felt the ex-shadow's pain and confusion growing as her insanity steadily worsened. The despair reminded her of her own frustration at being unable to find solace in spite of all her resources and power.

Maranon sincerely wanted to help Maple in spite of being a monster that had attempted planetary scale genocide. Not just because she wanted a consort, and not just because she genuinely liked Maple. It was because she wanted payback on whatever was that had ambushed her trying to seduce Maple the first time. Maple worked meticulously and Maranon felt strangely more comfortable in the cozy confines of a clearly much loved ship then in the luxurious but somehow distant castle, even with the tinge of madness and despair.

Maple prepped the sauce and pasta meticulously, draining the water as she cooked, whistling. Maranon sat patiently at a table, her glamourous appearance somehow out of place in the mess area.

"I remember when I left the order I lived out of a ship..." Maranon trailed. "Wasn't as nice as this one, old corellian piece of crap but servicable..."

"What did you do for a living?" Maple asked as she prepared the plates.

"Oh, I was way past getting my own hands dirty. It was a bad habit I had to unlearn. It got me into a great deal of trouble to be honest. First year, I roamed the space ways, Force Persuading people to hand over their credits. I was a thief, in spite of my gifts. But it also allowed me to work on my whole 'Mysteriously Sexy Zeltron' thing. Wait...that doesn't sound right. How can it be mysterious as to why you are sexy--?" The Sith muttered as she realized she had put her foot in her mouth as Maple set down a plate across her. Maranon looked down at the plate. It smelled delicious.

Her stomach growled fiercely, and she quickly took the fork and began rolling the pasta around onto it. She tasted it. It was incredible. Maranon quickly began chowing down. "This is delicious! What is it? she exclaimed in surprise.

"Store bought pasta..." the now pale, slightly yellow eyed Maple answered, blinking a bit, her eyes reverting to their natural color as she ate.

Maranon looked up at her in even bigger surprise.

"Maranon...have you eaten anything since you revived before this?" Maple asked.

Maranon leaned back in her seat.

"No...didn't realize how hungry I was until it was in front of me, I guess..." she replied, looking confused. She took the pitcher of cold water and poured herself a glass, and drank it, before being taken aback at the taste.

"Did you put sugar in this?" Maranon asked.

Maple shook her head. "No...just plain old water."

"Taste it, would you? It tastes sweet..."

Maple took a sip. She did not taste whatever Maranon did.

"It tastes normal to you?" Maranon asked, confusion crinkling her brow.

"Tastes like ordinary water...hold on a second..."

Maple got up, went to the cabinet, pulled out a box of cornflakes. She tasted a piece, than offered one to Maranon. Maranon floated it over into her mouth telekinetically. It tasted like candy.

"It tastes super delicious. Is it flavored?" Maranon asked.

"No...it isn't. Maranon...I think this is a side effect of you being dead so long. Your brain craves imput, and it enhances any it gets. You could eat dog food and think it was fish filet."

"Maple, for that to occur, it would have to be some really good dog food..." Maranon snorted in amusement. Inwardly, she remembered the first few months after she had gone on the run after being exiled: She HAD lived off of dog food in the lean times. Not that Maranon would ever allow herself to lose face by admitting that.

Maranon continued eating the pasta, enjoying it more than the decadent feasts she had once hosted at her castle on Katanos. Then again, when its the first meal you have had in thousands of years, one probably could have fed Maranon burnt cardboard and it would have tasted like a charbroiled steak.

"What got you studying magic to begin with?" Maple asked as they ate.

"Oh same reason a lot of people did back then. Jedi Order was in one of those 'moods' where everything not codified by them was suspect of dark side corruption. Take it from one of their former alumni: If you ever entertained the idea that the Jedi Order were a bunch of stodgy, repressed, insufferable old fools blindly clinging to tradition in this day and age, you would have loathed them back in the days when pretty much no one but the Taung could step up to them. Oh, you had some pretenders to the throne of the Sith, of course, but it wasn't until the Sith actually became a factor that any real competition began to present itself. In the interim there were all sorts of people attempting to keep a low profile, pursue research the Jedi considered unnatural..."

"You were one such person?"

"Not at first. By the time I encountered my first brush with magic, I was already an accomplished Consular with a lack of curiosity. Procedure back then was you find a tome, you put it somewhere safe or you try and destroy on the spot."

"The lesson of Leia to Tarkin keeps repeating..." Maple noted, eating more as she listened.

"Who?"

"One guy thought fear alone was enough to maintain power. He thought this because he was on a planet destroying space station. The other was a princess who must have held sand in her youth to warn him of his folly." Maple explained.

"What was her warning?" Maranon asked, realizing she had a ton of catching up.

"Its believed to have been something like: 'The more you tighten your grip, the more control will continue to slip through your fingers.' Or something like that. Its been a while since I brushed up on that conflict."

Maranon could not help but give a dark, nasty chuckle.

"That could be the title of the Order's biography." Maranon claimed.

"And mine." Maple noted. "And yours..."

"Oh, rubbish. Rubbish and a cheap shot. You had [member="Sawa Ike"] with you. The lady who burned up in atmosphere...I wonder what that vampire is planning..."

"You still did not explain your studies in magic."

"It was blood magic..." Maranon trailed. "No title, no author name, no publisher. But it was beautiful...and I thought...this was too good to consign to the flame with all the others..."

Little did either know that as the ate, danger approached...

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"]

The task was simple enough... mostly the younger girl was moving off to locate and infiltrate. Maranonwas many hings but she was also just as if not more then Sawa wanting servants so a quick mind wipe... the force being used to really push and alter her memories so she thought only about the zeltron who had been mentioned.. the one who was coming. Everyone loved Maranon... everyone lusted after Maranon... it would and should be simple enough to get her to become a servant of her much like others on the world. The upheval, the changes that were forced upon them a little work and the people would likely turn to the zeltron to retake her throne by popular opinion and election not that they had those. Even Sawa saw how much the silver jedi had violated zeltros.

But it wasn't like atrisia, it wasn't ruled forever it was ruled by the wil of the people and they screamed for a return to well happiness... taking away their entertainment, their way of life, then telling them it was because you knew beter, you were an offworlder who knew more importantly as she was looking over the city and getting the reports she had scouts going after and searching for the silent Erika... she was looking for hat they might have and should be able to find. "Boss we found it." Raza stood there and moved forward in one ofthe zeltronian styled kimonos... a favored outfit with the zoosha fabric that left it looking clear and nice. Her thighs exposed and her hair over her shoulders when Akala stayed back relaxing on a chair.

"That is good, I am looking forward to what we might be able to do here now." She had a gang to fight, she had the power and practicality that was a restored body with the energy of the world and she had a purpose... that was the most important part. Reaching out and allowing herself to feel for Maple again with the full power before she was turning around. They had everything here and assembled but time wasa killer and problem.. they didn't have much to do aside from going door to door, following scents and feelings in the force itself until well until they had more solid intel that could be used. "You really think she is going to stick around here boss, it is kind of exposed compared to some of the mansions."

Sawa had to think about it and there was an entire galaxy to go to but few places in the galaxy itself with the properties of zeltros. All of what they had to work with... specifically the pheromones and sense of lust in the air. The ability for it to really entice one to do things theymight normally not do. She was thinking about what Maranon who had her own pheromones could do with a Maple who was beautiful and in some ways open to damaged people...she found danger exciting... more then that she seemed to have a weakness when it came to dangerous females who could fling her around or pin her down.... a thought that sent a shiver through her body and that tingle to the back of her mind to remember it a little later for purposes.

Sawa stretched out with her mind where she was looking... she was reaching out to Maple and she found her. That silent tug of energy where she was before she breathed out from the force. Maple seemed to be calm and unhurt... she couldn't tell if she was happy but the dark presence of Maranon there was something that was going to muddle everything in the force. Where she was looking to check it out... she wanted to allow the force and her connection to Maple when she was sending something down the line. She needed to see Maple and make sure she was safe but just fighting might push her and assaulting a ship or a palace would only go so far... after what had happened... she needed to sink her teeth into something.

 

[Maranon]

Maple and Maranon had left the ship after eating and Maple had been utterly surprised when Maranon invited her to the personal shooting gallery in her great castle. It was a magnificent indoor range, with holographic targets. Maple had picked up on Maranon's sense of taste. She had multiple types of weapons to test. Everything from bowcaster pistols, to nightsister bows to full on disruptors. Maple, being a witch, sensed the intense curse magics Maranon had placed in the very walls finally...designed to drive made with illusion anyone Maranon didn't invite in. She saw some parts of shooting gallery were lined in gold and gems. Even when she was blasting people to smithereens, Maranon did it in the height of taste.

Curiously though, Maple noticed Maranon did not seem to use energy weapons. The Slugthrowers seemed to get the most use...

"What guns do you favor?" Maple asked.

Maranon smirked, going over to one glassteel locker and retrieving a long barreled revolver with a red pearlescent grip and loaded it with forty five caliber rounds.

"Forty Five. Respectable." Maple noted approvingly.

"I prefer forty fours."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because its perfectly divisible. All things in balance..."

Maple went cold. "That phrase...where did you hear it?" Maple whispered, her green eyes going intense with worry.

"Oh, it...well...I suppose I've always said it actually...huh. Why, where did you hear it?" The former queen asked.

"Ursula. My master. She would say that alot."

"She's very wise then..."

Maranon cocked the revolver and fired. It hit a holographic target right in the head at seventy meters.

Maranon spun the pistol, and Maple stared as the elder witch manipulated its spin deftly in her hands before twisting it in air, catching it in mid air and handing it to Maple, who spun it with as much dexterity, noting its perfect balance.

She fired at a target just as distant, hitting it in the head, handing it to the queen.

"You spin that gun like you've shot someone dead in a street." Maple noted.

"So do you." Maranon purred. "How many gun duels have you been in?"

"None. I never encouraged that kind of give and take in ranged combat. I put holes in bastards and moved on."

"Well for me..." the Sith purred again, slinking up to Maple, who was transfixed.

"There is nothing like a gun duel..." the ex Queen spoke, hands sliding around Harte's stomach, whispering into a swooning Maple's ear. "The way your breath catches in your throat before you draw...the heartbeats before that...the way the two stare at each other like they are in love...and then...satisfaction..."

"You are really good at saying one thing and meaning something else..." Maple whispered back. "That...that is like a gift..."

"I'm so glad you think so..."

Maranon kissed the former shadow. It was a good kiss, designed to mess with Maple's brain. Maple had a goofy smile on her after the kiss.

Maranon saw everything in the flood of emotion that followed that kiss. Fear. Confusion. Lust. Temptation. Defiance. Good. Evil. Maple had so many things at war in her.

Maranon pulled back, picking up the gun and emptying it into the targets. Now it was time to play slightly hard to get.

Slightly.

"You don't seem to like energy weapons." Maple noted, still thinking about that crazy hot kiss.

"Oh its not a matter of like or dislike. I know they are effective...but I'm an old soul. Besides, blasters can go wrong for any number of reasons. Slugthrowers only fail if you don't take care of them."

Maple had to agree on that. Once she had gotten water in a a westar 34's barrel. Damn thing never worked again.

"So what do you prefer? I know you're a delight with a rifle but what's your favorite type of weapon?"

"Heavy blasters. Or automatics." Maple answered, slinking behind Maranon as she loaded her gun slowly. "But its all academic. In the end the best weapon is the one that works for you."

Maranon, ever scheming to seduce Maple utterly, decided to use her own knowledge to help in this task.

"I could never get the hang of energy weapons other than a lightsaber..." Maranon admitted, going to a rack and retrieving a beautiful, expensive lever action rifle of pearlescent white furniture and black metal with engravings. She loaded it with forty four caliber rounds of the same kind she used in her pistol. Maple realized Maranon was not familiar with too many ammunition types and preferred interchangeable ammo. Simple, but limiting.

"Its been a while...think you could help me aim?" The Sith asked.

Maple helped adjust the stock against Maranon's shoulder. She fired and hit a target in the torso instead of the head like she wanted.

"You're too stiff, relax. Slow your heartbeat before you fire..." Maple encouraged.

Maranon fired and hit a target in the head at two hundred meters.The computers in the shooting booth displayed her score. 700.

"I have to admit, I am rather pleased at how that went..."

"Lets try hitting a moving target--"

"Crude matter..." Maranon remarked.

Maple paused. "Hmmm?"

"So much faith..." Maranon smirked. "That you place in crude matter. You would be more powerful if you had studied the Force longer. Guns are fun, but the Dark Side is...um...more fun."

"The Force isn't always the answer..."

Maranon would not hear it.

"If I had a credit for every time I heard that..." Maranon replied dismissively, putting the rifle aside.

Maple said nothing, instead filing it away for later, that dismissiveness. She'd been expecting it for some time, to be honest...Maranon screamed upper class smug. She was crazy attracted to her, but she had not forgotten there was a reason her ex poisoned her.

"Lets go outside. I wanna mess with the sky a little. We'll take this..." Maranon suggested, picking up the rifle.

"You're gonna mess with the sky just because?" Maple asked, horrified.

"Well...yeah..." Maranon answered in a childishly petulant manner, leaving the booth. Maple followed, worried about what came next...

Fifteen minutes later...

"What are your plans for Zeltros?" Maple asked.

"None, really...this place was never anything more than a summer retreat. Besides...not even done with my vacation..."

"Maranon...are you aware Zeltros is Silver Jedi territory?" Maple asked as they entered the woodlands surrounding her castle. The birds tweeted and a smell of cinnamon hit her nostrils.

"Who the feth are the Silver Jedi?" Maranon asked.

"Uh oh..."

Maranon's senses felt them, suddenly, fast approaching the woods. Maranon rested the rifle with one hand over her shoulder as she saw four Jedi energe, all masters, all armed with double bladed lightsabers.

"You! Sith! Why do you darken this world?" One of the hooded men and women called out.

Maranon huffed in annoyance.

"Oh, do we have to do this? I'm on vacation on my birth planet, and I got a rifle. Can we reschedule? I'm kinda entertaining a guest, if you catch my drift?" She whispered.

"I can hear you, you know?" Maple said.

"Quiet, I'm workin' my magic, don't distract me..." Maranon said to Maple out of the corner of her mouth.

"We heard you also! Just now!" another Jedi pointed out.

Maranon slinked forward. Maple watched fascinated as she turned on the charm.

"Oh, please, there's plenty of me to go around..." She whispered, approaching them all, her pheremones entering their brains as well as her seductive voice. One Jedi's mind, he was not nearly so pure as he pretended. She winked at him, conjuring a version of her in lingerie that clung to his shoulder, whispering the things she wanted him to do to her. One of them a woman, tried to maintain a sense of aggression, but Maranon's smile, infectious somehow, made her hesitate.

"Everybody loves Maranon..." the ex-Queen whispered to the Jedi that was the tallest and broadest.

Maple watched, slackjawed.

"Holy fething chit she's actually doing it..."

Maranon slinked closer to the tall one. "I can show you the secrets to desires you didn't even know you had..."

She clutched at her throat as the death pains from Penelope's Synox-tainted kiss spread.

Of all the ways to go...a kiss...that hurt. Also, it smacked of comic book. Penelope knew it would annoy Maranon to be murdered in a comic book manner.

Maranon's sudden doubt broke the effect, broke her hold over the Jedi as she experienced an anxiety attack. Her panic spread through the force, disabling the effect of her Pheremones. Only a Force jump prevented her beheading by a green blade.

Not sure what was going on, Maranon could not access her more offensive abilities. She still had the rifle, so she hip fired in panic, none of her shots landing, forgetting Maple's advice. One blade got close enough to nick her and she snarled in rage, finally getting enough anger to focus and swat him aside with a Force Wave. The woman leapt for her, her purple blade flashing through the autumn leaves.

Maranon snapped her fingers and a heavy cluster of white lightning bolts came down in her general direction, hitting and frying her in mid air.

She snarled, her flesh wriggling on her bones as the Light was manifested by the palms of the two remaining Jedi. She felt her powers weaken and she rose, taking aim and slowing down her breath and fired, forcing them to both break their concentration.

Maranon conjured the Illusins of two Battle Droids firing on them from the forest line. It took great strain as her moment of doubt had greatly weakened her. But the two Jedi were soon deflecting imaginary bolts.

Maranon took aim.

Two stun blasts hit both Jedi, and Maranon turned, saw Maple holding a gold plated Zabrak Tystel Mark 3. Penelope's favorite. When had she obtained that? Maranon hadn't even seen her lift it.

"A little help would have been nice..." Maranon offered in a scathing tone.

"Everybody Loves Maranon..." Maple replied back with a grin.

Maranon tossed the gun, walked up to her...

...and kissed her.

"We're gonna have to avoid drawing attention like that." Maple breathed.

"This is the perfect time to make out..." Maranon breathed back

The pair made out with abandon amidst the dead and wounded, the beautiful woman sent by [member="Sawa Ike"] approached...

(New weapon obtained!)

(New Skill Learned!)

Weapon: ROYAL LEVER ACTION

Spoiler

44. Caliber Lever Action constructed to Match Grade standards, preserved in the stasis fields of Maranon's Castle Armory. Uses pistol rounds, so range is not as high as that of full on rifles. 12 rounds.

Skill: SLUGTHROWERS (Rifles)

Spoiler

Enables character to use Slugthrower rifles, such as lever, and bolt action.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Maranon"]

Miyoung was moving and she had gone off searching. The mission was simple recon but as the half atrisian half zeltron moved she had gotten into the crowd and found a perch to watch. They were at a shooting ranger and she couldn't hear anything... no she would have to get close and that wouldn't be as helpful to the cause... she was looking at Maple though through a scope and matching the biometrics. Her intentions calm and focused rather then hostile as her dyed red hair stood out with the crowd and she lept down towards the street as she got some looks from the party goers and slinked around a few int he crowd.

Her mind was still reeling and a little fuzzy but in the good way. The master someone she had been chosen to serve and trained to fight for was well she was skilled and shared some of her power. That was what she did and what made her worth following as many of them did. The Angels were her servants even if they were a gang and organization that others didn't understand or go against. Miyoung though didn't worry about that and the shooting range was in view as she moved letting herself blend in as best as she could with the scenery focusing on her mind being blank and her movements carefully measured.

Sawa had been keeping her powers in check and allowing the force and her energies to better reserve. The power of Maranon was stronger then many of them might know but she was confident of a few things... namely if she didn't have Maple there she could let loose and not have to control herself completely. Savage force powers and attacks compared what she had to hold back trying to not kill people... well she didn't care one way or the other about them but it was more what could draw attention as she moved and looked at two of her angels being confronted by jedi.

Rae was large and built as they tried to restrain her and Ruby was watching a blade in hand. Sawa approached and smiled as she felt something in the distance... the whispers of power and the darkside that distracted them when she moved quickly and slammed a fist into the throat of one. Their scream dying in their throat before Rae threw them into an alley wall. Ruby stabbed another quickly while Sawa was moving and motioning. "Send the others out to find her, I can feel the darkside and we will move on her ground at least. Miyoung should be able to distract Maple long enough to lure her away."

 

[Maranon]

Frantically making out after a battle had not been enough for either of them. Shocking. Positively shocking, huh?

Maple had been all but putty in Maranon's arms, willingly, eagerly letting herself be led back to her own quarters aboard the Silent Erika for privacy. Maranon could feel the lust growing within Maple at each kiss as they locked the door.

007 hours later Maranon staggered out of the quarters, wrapped in a blanket up to her shoulders, hair disheveled, barely able to walk being so exhausted. She staggered to the mess, grabbed a glass of water, and downed it. Then downed another.

In spite of the fun she had just had, she was troubled. It should not have felt so. This was her first vacation in millenia.

Maple had distracted her. Maple was wonderful.

Yet Maranon did not feel whole any more than she already did.

Being with her reminded her of Penelope. In the early days. Hell, the more Maranon looked at her, the more she could have sworn she was Penelope. Same smile, same gaze. Before it all went south. Before the Dark Times. Before her betrayal.

All those she loved seemed to betray her in the end. Joc-Cha-Ninn, Jedi Master. Penelope, a Matukai Castoff. Cidd Cinndurr, Heretic of The Jei Priestesses, who Maranon had imparted The Curse of The Phoenix to after stealing Maranon's Fire Magic, but not before The Atrisian had seduced her from beyond death and tricked her into believing Cidd would use her powers to ressurect her. Maranon, after her ressurection, had gotten a laugh at learning how Cidd died: Cidd was publicly executed by the Atrisian Emperor himself after the heretical cult she founded, dedicated to overthrowing his corrupt and despotic rule, had been betrayed from within. He had then had her remains cast into the fires of Mount Muspelheim in the land of The Horse Lords on Atrisia, her place of birth. Maranon knew it had not been the end for Cidd. Not even close. Not with the curse she had imparted.

Would it end the same way for her with Maple? Maranon did not want it to be so. But she knew (though, tragically, she was far too vain for her own good to admit this out loud) that on some level, it was her own nature that was dooming the relationships. But Maranon was a committed, and ultimately selfish, hedonist. But the ache of the wound that would not close stayed with her.

There was one other problem Maranon had forgotten about.

Hey, Matsu, remember that spirit that Maranon had to join with to survive imprisonment in her own jewelry? It was still joined with her. My obligation to foreshadowing is hearby complete. I take payment only in solid imaginary gold.

Moving on, now. Maranon was about to go back into that room to shower (and grinning as she heard Maple telepathically call out to her, already waiting within it.) when she felt the approach of Sawa's servant.

Maranon smirked, concentrating as she conjured illusions of rampaging rancors to run from...hopefully...

Is that your best, Darth Shojo? she called out to Sawa Ike telepathically.

You want Maple? You're gonna have to come down here and rip her from my arms. Come and get me, Prefect! I'll take you naked, because I'm badass like that!

Maranon shuddered in delight as Maple cried out to be in her arms again mentally.

Uh, new plan, I need like, twenty minutes.

Maple telepathically whispered all the things she wanted to do to her.

Make it forty. But after forty minutes-no, an hour! After an hour you're fethed!

Maranon ran back into Maple's quarters.

Two hours later...

Maranon quietly and in a dignified manner walked off the Silent Erika with Maple in tow.

Maranon was clad in her black gown, Maple in her black Sasori armor.

"Ok, so I lied, I took two hours. Totally worth it." Maranon called out. "Show yourself, Shojo! Let's burn this motherfether down! And by 'burn this motherfether down' I mean we, y'know, try and reduce the other's hit points to fething zero."

 

[Junko Ike]

wrong account

 

[Sawa Ike]

Maranon Maple Harte

Sawa could feel it there... the message and there was more as she continued to feed off of the energy around herself. She was getting a lot stronger and breaking into Maranons place... finding Maple and trying to convince her that what she was feeling wasn't real... no it was... Sawa couldn't discount her feelings in that. It was easier to manipulate something real and lust could be made to feel like love... she had done it before just as easily when she was moving. Adorned for battle in her own bodysuit. The skintight latex shimmering as she moved and constricting her stomach to exemplify her chest and hips. She didn't really need to breathe so it helped and her saber was on her hip... her katana across her back.

She rolled her shoulders when she was moving with her hair back in a tight ponytail exposing her neck in the bodysuit and she popped the collar just enough to cover her neck. She was looking at the home with silvery eyes and didn't need to sneak.. she was expected after all and grinned with a tight lipped smile appearing on her face. She moved forward and focused the force.. allowing it to pull inwards and then explode in a sensation of warmth. She was coming for Maple and trying to reach her but she was also announcing herself. A bright beacon of fury and rage contained within a controlled shell. Her smile full while fangs flashed.

She was letting her presence in the force be felt but internally she was focused and making her already prenaturally strong body much much more. Muscles and sinew, her bones and senses. Everything was being made stronger and much more powerful so that she would be able to fight. One hand slipping as the silver finger blade came out and resonated with the darkside itself. Where she was looking and feeling it she slipped the thoughts about what she would do to Maranon into her mind and then what she would ddo and had done with Maple... if it was a battle of well a strange battle for the affections of Maple this was going to be something to see.... hopefully without mud pits.

 

[Maranon]

"Wait wait wait!" Maple shouted, getting in front of both of them, unable to help but catch sight of Sawa's armor.

She had never had two Sith fight over her. She needed to be comfy to witness this. Because hopefully it would end in mud.

"Stop! Stop! This is crazy!"

"Don't interfere, dear!" Maranon purred at her.

"We can't do this!" Maple reiterated.

Maranon threw up her hands. "Well why the bloody hell not?!"

"Because if I'm gonna watch this I need chocolate." Maple explained. "Snacks! Drinks!"

Maranon sighed. She looked at Sawa, clearly embarrassed as Maple ran into the ship to get junk food.

"Sweet tooth on her, huh?" Maranon asked Sawa Ike dryly.

Also something she had in common with Penelope.

Maple ran back out of the ship ten minutes later with three bars of chocolate, a folding lawn chair, two sodas, a range finder, one of Maranon's journals the Sith had lent her regarding spells and lightsaber construction, and a bag of chips.

"Nice and settled, are we?" Maranon called out as Maple sat faaaaaarrr the feth away.

"Yep!" Maple called back.

"Ah. Well then."

Maranon's full attention was back on Sawa.

"I have so many ways to kick your ass I'm having trouble actually deciding..." Maranon called out to Sawa playfully. Then she decided she would go with an old but good one as a warm up.

"Hmmm...I know..." She said finally.

Maranon's hands stretched out both palms toward Sawa, carefully closing the distance. It was an ancient style. One geared towards channeling the energy of the body.

"No Force Attacks?" Maple called out.

"Dear Maple, when you know as much about The Force as I do, well...you can only do so many acts of telekinesis or sky lightning before it gets boring. Besides, its getting you to pay attention to me." Maranon answered off handedly.

She raced forward, channeling her chi into a blow at Sawa's stomach.

It was style native to Atrisia. Ta'i Chi. The style of Nine's family, Iron Hand, was said to be a corrupted variant of this. She had, or rather, Kerimi Avalon, had learned this style in her youth on Ossus.

It had been such a simple time in her life. She had used to practice regularly. Now it was little more than another tool at her disposal.

With that get-up I'm actually gonna regret having to smash her face in. Maranon thought to herself as she attacked Sawa. If only she hadn't imprisoned her in her own jewelry...Maranon completely ignored the fact Sawa had had to burn up on reentry to escape her, because she was self centered like that.

But there was serious power to that blow, despite the gentle, gliding way the Former Queen moved. Power enough to shatter ribs.

 

[Sawa Ike]

Sawa watched Maple run off as the two of them were about to fight and go after junk food... her mind was doing flips for the moment but what did remain mostly was a mixture of 'REALLY?' and 'Adorable' either way she was looking at Maranon who was across from her and talking. Sawa stayed there watching her with silvery golden eyes that practically screamed 'Bring it on' and she stayed like that until Maple reappeared setting herself up for a show. Sawa flicked her eyes over to look at her and remained still almost like a statue until Maranon spoke and she made a small shrug that was barely noticeable.

She didn't move bringing her eyes to watching the hands and as maranon was coming at her with the burst she focused narrowing her mind and area of influence. Planting her feet so she would be able to withstand the burst of power... hands rising up into more of a Tiger stance. Atrisian arts were a give and take... a receiving and giving... yin and yang while she breathed in taking in force energies and strengthening her body. The she moved one arm forward for the burst.. the other going back for a moment as her sphere of influence felt the impact strike against her. Then she was pulling at it, pulling at the pain and the power to draw it into her body.

She pulled at the feeling at it crushed against her bones and muscles... down into her sinew and rolled along the length of her arm like a visible shockwave in the force with determination on her face. Sawa saw what she needed to do and she allowed the force to roll throughout her body... feeling the vibration down deep into her bones and sending it towards her other hand with her own burst of force energy that would serve to rebound it at Maranon as she moved her other foot forward and stomped itno the ground itself... a heavy tiger stance that saw her legs spread enough to keep bracing and she was holding her ground.

She narrowed her eyes sending the power back at Maranon and her teeth had been vibrating practically with the rush of power which was impressive as she hadn't felt something like that in a long time. She just allowed her mind to remember everything here... everything that she knew from this being and with her releasing Ni-Ne... they had come flooding back... ancient thought she had not had since she was young since she was human. Gabriel was many things but he had known her... he had been corrupted and empowered by her and her thoughts. It brought a sense of anger and outright hatred to her when she was speaking finally.

"Look at out, a ghost of the past fighting for what? Vanity... can't have anyone who doesn't love you or at least is in lust with you?" She said it and looked at her while she moved forward using the Atrisian style she knew. Switching from the stand your ground stance into a move moving crane stance that allowed her to move forward and she punched towards Maranon with her more dileberite strikes. Slower moving but without equal she knew from may others. "We might be similar in tastes but I stopped being like you... I don't keep trying to remake the one who got away." She smirked now with a better look on her face when she prepared her arm to defend.

 

[Maranon]

Maranon, though she felt the martial art attacks impact on her body, felt the pain...

She had an insanely high tolerance for it as she felt various bones crack. Blows that would have sent a heavy weight boxer to the ground in pain, whimpering, Maranon merely staggered backward from.

It was the barbs of Sawa Ike that stung more however.

"Considering I'm speaking to one who was so yandere for the 'One That Got Away', that they imprisoned them a whole fething century in a city of the dead to torture them, I think I comfortable merely going with a type. And as Maple has been so eagerly demonstrating, she is very much my type..." Maranon joked, wounds quickly and speedily healing.

Her palms sweapt forward, channeling bodily energy into a blow that looked like she was attempting a hadouken from Street Fighter upon Sawa's figure. It was delivered with such power that if it connected with an ordinary person they'd be flung backward as a bag of broken bones.

Maranon was fething pissed at the accusation. Partly out of vanity, partly because she was genuinely attracted to the Bounty Hunter, and partly because Sawa was half-right.

Maple, in the meantime was still on her first can of those delightful stacked chips. Maranon was clearly a Master Martial artist...having been alive so long, it would have been odd if she didn't know any self defense techniques. Maranon healed fast too and didn't care about pain. She could wail on Sawa for as long as she had too. Sawa would llikely eventually have to resort to overwhelming Force to stop her, but for now, the dance between the two was still playing out.

The Blood Spirit Maranon had bonded with to survive suddenly made the sky tremble with Maranon's innate power. Maranon didn't notice, launching a sequence of pressure point attacks to try and cripple Sawa, each attack leading to the other.

Maple felt sad as she watched them both suddenly, which took the joy from her snacks.

So much power. In both if them. Maple closed her eyes and tried to imagine who Maranon had been before being what she was now. All she could imagine was a beautiful woman with eyes as sad as Maple's got sometimes.

And Sawa...what had broken in Sawa? Had it been one thing, or a long string of things, like it was with most in the profession?

Both of these women had been capable of so much good once. They could be again, if only they would look in themselves and see.

For some weird, weird reason, Maple saw that possibility more likely for Sawa than Maranon. She had sensed that little kernel of good in Shojo, even though Sawa was seemingly set in her ways due to her vampirism, and Maple was attracted to Sawa for who she was, vampirism be damned, possibility of getting fed on by Sawa be damned.

On the other hand, Maranon had one hell of an appeal...eternal royalty...enough power to tell the Brain Demon to feth off.

Maple looked at Sawa again. On the other hand, Tantric...

Maple looked at Maranon. On that hand, clever use of pressure points...

Oh, damn, Maple realized. She was genuinely torn about who she would like to see win...she didn't want to see them hurt each other...

...without mud...

Please let there be mud. Please let their be mud...the Bounty Hunter repeated mentally...