Here I Am! (Voss, Open to SSC)

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

"Troubled, you definitely seemed troubled, sir." He spoke in his deep melodramatic tone of voice.

He would gently rise to his feet, eyeing his red blades with a grunt. Unclipping each and every one of his four hilts holding them passively in his hands, not yet igniting - clearly waiting for a reaction.

Turns his head to view the horned woman, he squints his eyes slightly at her attempting to recognise her face before giving up and drawing his attention back to the Mandolorian. He would leap into the air, augmenting his jump attempting to get onto the opposite side of the horned lady for a tactical advantage over the opponent, though he wasn't sure whether the man was his only opponent. The woman seemed awfully willing to sell herself to him.

He snaps at him, in a more serious voice. "Lay your weapon down, for the sake of having a decent chat for once."

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

“I just needed her out of the way for a moment. I’m sure she’s a lovely human being,” said Briga, with more than a trace of sarcasm. “But you are right. It was very impolite of me.” Her own eyes darted to the red lightning crackling around the Sith. She imagined that would be agonizing to feel against her downy skin.

One clawed hand still held Setzi in the Statis grip. Draco was right, the padawan’s power had waned, more so when she held to her promise of not straying from the light path and the Caprine mystic was only a mere initiate. But she untucked her other hand from the folds of her robes and showed the Sith Lord that she held no weapon.

“I am not going to attack you.”

Briga also had her amber eyes on the juvenile Besalisk who was in the Temple as well. For such a tall, heavy being, he was sure light on his feet as the witch barely noticed him there at first. And he issued the powerful darksider a challenge. This was always the ideal situation for Briga – having someone else do the dirty work would make the pure, unblemished work she needed to do, much, much easier.

Out of the shadows, one of the horned mystic’s handmaiden’s appeared, a diminutive, but pretty and nymph-like Caprine with a long, dark rope-like braid down her back. Briga was deathly afraid of isolation and always traveled with a companion, normally more than one, but today she’d brought only Saira. She didn’t want to call attention to the defenseless servant, for fear that she may be struck, so with her free hand, the one that wasn’t holding Setzi still, she beckoned the female over to her side.

“But the Besalisk might,” she said.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Terol Jeero"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

He shuffled his large feet over to the left slightly, getting a better view of the Caprine, shaking his head slowly in disappointment as she chose to not fight with him. She chose to stand there, idle. He realized that he was no match for the Sith, though his fearless attitude kicks in causing him to stand his ground, hilts in hand. His voice slightly raspy at first, though soon after changes back to its normal tone.

"We can settle this, peacefully, why are you here? The both of you?" He inquired, gingerly.

He slowly diverted his eyes to the Sith's hands noticing the sheer amounts of power that he had, compared to himself; Terol was a child compared to this man. Though, it did not frighten him. If he was to die, it'd be standing up for someone else, or a whole place in fact. The temple.

[member="Briga Tiin"] [member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco, moved, pushing Setzi backwards a bit so he could keep her shielded by his own body. Draco was a bunch of things, but first and foremost, Draco was a Constitution or Fortitude Tank. So much so that he used double shields and didn't carry lightsabers. He had exotic weapons that were combinations of master alchemy, ancient techniques, and advanced technology, but he wasn't built for out put. He was built to survive, to out last. He wasn't worried about the pair, but he was rather worried what either might do to Setzi. If she wandered off with him and then was seriously injured it would not bode well for repair his relationship with the Silver Sanctum Coalition.

Draco was rather impatient and flustered, and so his voice betrayed his annoyance at being ambushed by the pair. "Yeah, or, or, I could not, and little miss horny could explain what she is doing inside the Temple of Mystics, and probably explain why she claims to have been waiting on me." The buttspike of the machete extending towards the horned woman, stopping about a foot from her. It was an interesting weapon with a lot of neat tricks most people wouldn't expect. "Before I get angry and start asking questions the hard way."

He didn't exactly want to put the Besalisk Padawan down, but he did hope the youngling would back off a bit and perhaps be a bit more accepting. The Sith Lord was protecting a brunette padawan with his own body, and if she was conscious, she was getting to touch the merchandise indirectly as he backed into her.

[member="Terol Jeero"] [member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

Briga could tell, that one of them was getting under the Sith Lord’s skin. “I could ask you the same question,” said the Caprine witch, peering at Draco. “But I will answer you." She lowered her hand, letting Setzi go free from the stasis grip. The brunette padawan would have wriggled out of it soon enough as it was a Force skill largely uncultivated by Briga. She kept her hands out where he could see them - the red lightning she witnessed a few moments ago frightened her enough to tread carefully.

“I’m here doing research on the Voss mystics. They were some of the more accurate soothsayers in the galaxy - never wrong in their predictions, it seems. I am also a gifted seer.” And not a humble one, she thought, but best to bluff some of her way through this, gifted or amateur. “This was my first stop today, and then it’s on to the Tower of Prophecy next. See, I’m merely a tourist,” Briga finished in a voice that said she was anything but a tourist.

“I used my powers of divination to identify that someone was coming… someone who would hold a key to my fate.” She huffed for a moment, rolled her eyes at the padawans and said, “Well, it’s certainly not these two.” She took a tentative step towards him, away from the Besalisk. “So what is a Sith Lord doing in the middle of a Jedi temple? I do not sin, therefore, I have not come here for atonement. Have you?"

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Terol Jeero"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I do not sin, therefore, I have not come here for atonement.

Not atonement, resurrection. At least in Draco's mind that's what he was seeking here in the Temple of the Mystics. "I'm less of a tourists, more seeking my old self. And I'm not a Sith Lord, not really, not anymore." He had turned away from that path, and now he was just seeking healing for his mind so that he could lay in the arms of his lover and she would not fear of his darker side. Seer or not, she wasn't the only person that could look into the future. She moved closer to him and he let the handle retract and held the weapon loosely in his hands, non-threateningly.

With Setzi free, his worry he would be left framed for the death of a padawan subsided somewhat. "Are you okay, Setzi?" He asked over his shoulder, dropping his hands and standing between her and the others still, still shielding her with his own armored frame.

Draco hardly waited for a response before flicking his eyes back in the direction of the horned seer. "So? What fate do I hold the key too? Life, Death, do you seek to gain power from me? You might find I'm here to sacrifice a great bit of personal power and ability that I've cultivated over my years." But he wasn't about to pass that knowledge on to her, all he wanted to do was meditate at the Temple and discover how to rid himself of his darkness.

[member="Briga Tiin"] [member="Terol Jeero"]

 

[Ax'no]

On Voss, Briga had avoided the Jedi for the most part. If she contained a trace of darkside, it was only a small amount, and she rationalized that it was most likely hidden by the amount of grey Jedi who had made Voss their home. But it made sense to remain in the shadows and not court danger either way.

Setzi was quiet and just watching the scene. Even though she'd been stunned, she didn't feel like the mystic was a threat. Draco could more than handle her if she decided to make mischief.
"It's okay," said the padawan. "Let's hear her out."

After the Sith Lord explained his situation, Briga said, "I know all about sacrifices. I make them every day to the goddess Ax'no. Small tokens to appease her. I light a candle or leave her a gift. But to sacrifice personal power... that's an interesting concept." Interesting, was said with just a trace of disdain as though she disapproved, but the horned alien didn't elaborate and smiled to recover for any true feelings that were exposed.

"I can read your fate if you want. My powers of precognition are unrivaled. But you might not like what I show you."

Her amber eyes glittered impishly. "Are you interested in knowing what will happen to you?"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco grumbled, eyeing Setzi as though she had kind of shackled him and limited his options in dealing with the Horned Mystic. Just a trace of, agitation, but then again, he had come seeking a path, a clear route to the end of his journey. Why turn down even a troublesome mystic like this one. With any luck she could tell him what he had come here to know.

"Alright, you can read my fate if you'd like. But first, you have to tell me your name. I won't have some stranger looking into my future." He was calmer, outwardly at least. He was mildly agitated with the new arrivals coming in, and felt the need to continue his journey rather than deal with them.

He slowly worked the armored glove off his fingers and pulled it from his hand, extending his bare hand to her so that she could do her voodoo magic, mystic, soothsayer, mumbo, jumbo to it and tell him his fate.

[member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

“My name is Briga, but you can call me Priestess Tiin,” answered the mystic. Glancing at the two padawans, she gave a knowing look to Saira as though she wanted her servant to keep an eye on them. Without her scrying crystal, her precognitive power would require immense concentration. Furthermore, they were not as vivid or accurate on any other planet besides Iktotch. The Living Force binds me to my homeworld, she thought. That was the only explanation she could think of. Certainly not that she wasn't extremely skilled at precognition.

She inspected Draco’s bare hand for a moment, puzzled. “Very well,” she said. “I don’t normally need skin to skin contact, but if you think it will help, it probably will.” His muscular hand was firm and warm to the touch. Briga then closed her eyes and fell into a deep meditative trance. She would trade her vulnerability for visions now. As they appeared, stronger than she anticipated, she spoke them aloud:

“I see water. You are surrounded by it, but you are not enveloped in it. The water is a vista… a place of comfort and rest. Perhaps you are at a lakeside or the ocean as you grow older.” She paused and breathed deeply, pulling air through her nostrils as though it powered her mental images.

“You are surrounded by affection… and women.” That was not surprising as Draco was a well-built, handsome human male. “But the woman who captures your heart is also beloved by another, one that has gained her family’s approval.” The Caprine mystic grew quiet as she focused inward. Her visions were fading, the edges fuzzy. Finally she spoke again and her eyes opened, an amber fire glowing from her irises.

“Your paramour will be in danger,” she said in a quieter voice. “I do not know when or if she will… survive, but take heed, it will be soon.” Occasionally those who heard her visions of their future may lash out at her, especially if it was something they did not wish to hear. She did not twitch or move, but braced herself for the Sith Lord’s response.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco let her take his hand calmly and waited, feeling the Force swell and swirl around the Prophet, "I'll call you Briga. You will have to learn to appreciate the familiarity." he said curtly, but with a smile behind the visor, when she told him what to call her. He only rarely called people he respected by titles, she was just going to have to get used to the idea of him addressing her by her first name.

She started speaking and he nodded, only recently having come from a vacation in Alderaan's lake country with his paramour as she called her. No, Faith was a lot more than a paramour, she was his beloved and his hope and chance for a better life, and knowing his future held at least one more vacation with her in the lake country was a comfort, though he planned more than one such vacation with her.

When Briga spoke about another man he squinted, but he didn't think much of it. She was a beautiful princess, he knew she would have other suitors, but he held her heart, and that would be resolved once they were able to reveal their relationship. Surely it wouldn't be hard for her to turn away a few suitors while he made himself more presentable.

Talk of her being put in danger however did elicit a response from him, one a little rougher than he had intended. He grabbed her hand and yanked her closer to him, holding her only a few inches from his visor, a low rumbling growl erupting from his throat before he realized she wasn't threatening such a thing, only telling him it might possibly occur. He would have to be vigilant then.

He let her go, and spoke quietly, "Tell me, is there anything you see of my redemption or rebirth? Anything I must do?"

[member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

The four armed, padawan would simply grunt in annoyance, before taking a few steps back merging into the shadows, not leaving the temple simply observing them from a safer position.

He would mutter several words under his breath from the shadows as he leaped around the room, getting different angles. Clipping away his hilts.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

Briga made a high pitched noise in her throat when Draco roughly pulled her inches away from his helmet. But he released her just as quickly. As the Caprine mystic rubbed her hand, the fingers sore now from his too-firm grip, she glanced down and tried to suppress a laugh as poor Saira got so frightened she dove for cover behind the altar of the temple.

“Come out, little one” she said in Saira’s direction, trying to mask her annoyance at being grabbed. “It’s okay. The man, his girlfriend and his… pet are not going to do anything.”

The Caprine rolled her eyes back in her head, searching for more of Draco's future to see, but she saw nothing. The sudden violence had broken her concentration. But the old snake oil saleswoman in her felt the she needed to say something, anything - a denouement to the aria or a rollicking finale to the tap dance.

“Yes,” she answered. “But it’s not clear now. I would need more time and more… help from you, be it through a ritual cleansing or a sacrifice. You don’t strike me as the type of man who would freely surrender a gift to Ax’no. But if you’re interested…”

Briga trailed off, leaving her offer open to interpretation. She gathered her skirts up in her clawed hands, and Saira finally came skulking out from behind the altar, dusted herself off, and bounced right back over to her mistress. The Caprine nodded to the two padawans and gave Draco a final stare with her amber eyes. “Ax’no can help you with renewal and rebirth, but you don't strike me as the religious type. Still... much can be had from one small token of appreciation to the Goddess of the Living Force."

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Terol Jeero"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco was skeptical of the mystic, but he wasn't exactly uninterested in hearing more. He had traveled to Voss for that very reason, sought out a Jedi for the purpose of being escorted to this temple, and now, stood before this seer for that purpose. "What kind of token?" His voice was a bit gruff, but he pulled off his helmet and clipped it to his belt. "Also, I'm tired of standing around. I'm going to go sit by the shrine in the light, you are welcome to join me if you want to keep having this conversation."

He turned his attention to Setzi, "You, you I'm not letting out of arms length from me, so come. Besides," He grinned devilishly looking down his nose at her jokingly, "You're my pet now. You gotta do as I say, but I'm not a fan of your pet. My pets shouldn't own pets. You might have to throw him off a bridge later." He was still obviously joking, but, if she went along with his plan, he wouldn't exactly stop her. He might even be convinced to help.

Once he had found where he wanted to sit, and dragged Setzi to sit just behind him, Draco turned his attention back to the seer. "I'm not really religious, but I'd consider making a sacrifice to your creepy goddess if I have to, and if I have a fitting sacrifice." He glanced back at Setzi behind him, "But not her. I need her alive." And the two had a little bit of friendly history. She was trying to help him change so he could go back to his beloved something that could be respected.

[member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

Briga stopped and turned around to face the warrior again. She often forgot that her species was little known in the galaxy. Ax’no to her was omnifarious; she couldn’t imagine life without praying to her and also believing that she herself was the revered Caprine goddess. But to this human, the harvest goddess was but a flicker in his consciousness.

That will have to change, the mystic thought.

“You are strong and muscular,” Briga said. Like a droid with a doppraymagno scanner, her amber eyes perused over his form with impunity. “Battle scarred, yet victorious. You are a man who doesn’t lose, am I correct?” For whatever reason, Saira started to giggle, but the mystic silenced her maiden with a swift turn of her head.

Smiling, the horned Caprine said, “Come to Iktoch. It’s in neutral territory still, so you will be safe when you enter the atmosphere. The Iktotchi have very good planetary defenses, which is why my species has been allowed to thrive unchallenged for years."

“I want to enter you into a contest,” she finished. “That is the token of which the goddess desires. If you win, I will grant you more glimpses into the future… stronger, lucid precognitions as my power is incredibly strong on Iktotch. I will also give you one of my maidens-in-training… not Saira for she is mine. But another Caprine to keep.”

While Briga’s species hadn’t outlawed slavery, most Caprine looked down upon it. But the seer still kept a few slaves for herself to help with her own temple and serve at her estate. Most of the young maenads did so willingly as long as donations to her “church” were plentiful.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Terol Jeero"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco wasn't exactly interested in a tournament of strength and prowess in combat. He had long since proved himself atop the average man, and he didn't have the desire to spend less time around Faith trying to curry favor with this horned mystic. "I have a better idea. You seem like someone who craves knowledge, and you won't gain a whole lot of knowledge of me beating up a number of your people. And, you may not realize this, but I have you at my mercy."

"There are things I could teach you, and show you, and do for you." Draco's knowledge of the Dark Side was vast, having had access to numerous dark Holocrons and artifacts over the course of his training and life. "But first, you have to catch my interest. Can you convince me to let you go."

Storm grey eyes looked through the horned woman, "So, what is it you can do for me? What is it you can show me?"

[member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

“That’s a pity. You would make a beautiful ram,” Briga said. Too bad the warrior didn’t want to spar on Iktotch. The horned mystic could just picture the entire contest in her head – a strong Mandalorianesque, former Sith Lord, donning a helmet with sharp curling horns and butting into the biggest, ugliest Caprine male in the colony. Horn sparring was one of the most popular pastimes for her species. Maybe one day she could convince Draco to come to Iktotch to participate in the largest horn sparring tournament of the season, held during the largest harvest festival, The Seven Days of Ax’no.

Briga chuckled as he wouldn’t let her pass, speaking as though she were a fly in his spider’s web. “You are persistent, I’ll give you that.” Another vision struck her, a little blindly this time, but perhaps it was the mystical residue from the temple, enhancing her powers. Holy sites often kept the spiritual imprint of those who came before. She would have to make her trips to Voss a more regular occurrence as long as she could remain undercover.

“The only way you will rid yourself of your alter-ego is to visit the Force planet and follow the instructions you are given,” the seer explained. “This is all I know. I am also connected to the goddess Ax’no who some believe is also linked with the Living Force.” Briga had a strong position about Ax’no and much more orthodox ideas, but it was better to not overwhelm Draco with her zealousness. “I will accompany if you want and help you through the pitfalls. Having a clairvoyant along on your journey could not be a bad thing in any case. If you'll have me."

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco arched his eyebrow at the comment about making a beautiful ram. He wasn't sure about the mystic, but she seemed interested in more ways than simple interpreting visions. That could end up being a problem, as he was absolutely loyal to his princess back on Alderaan, but for now, he needed the Horned Seer in order to be someone that his princess could be allowed to love openly.

He didn't have the time, nor the patience for fighting through her people to prove himself, he had better things to do, and more important people to spend time with. "Persistence is how I got where I am, Briga. I wouldn't be rich, I wouldn't be powerful, I wouldn't be happy without dogged determination." He grinned at her, knowing that indeed it was his willpower that drove him forward, but at times it had simply been his unwillingness to stop, that there was nothing waiting for him behind so he might as well push forward and hope for the best, or at least go down swinging.

"The Planet of the Force? You may need to be more specific with coordinates and such if I'm going to get there." The instructions she gave weren't the best, and they left her a necessary addition to his crew for the time being. "Well, you seem to have shackled me to you for that leg of the journey. I have somethings to see to before I can begin seeking out the Force Planet you speak of. Where should I find you when I am ready?" She wanted something, he just wasn't exactly sure what that something was. There was knowledge and information, training and abilities, and of course he himself if that's really what she wanted. He wasn't sure, but he was probably going to find out soon enough.

[member="Briga Tiin"]

 

[Ax'no]

He could have mentioned he was rich a little earlier. This certainly pricked Briga's interest. She needed patrons, supporters... believers. The Caprine mystic didn't need a sugar daddy. She had already been linked to Darth Prazutis, introduced by mutual friends and primed to be his acolyte. And although her church received enough donations to keep it afloat, she had some renovations that she needed to fund.

"Very well," she said. "I can help you locate this planet." Briga was lying through her teeth. By the Eternal Core, she had no idea where the Force Planet was but she needed to keep Draco's interest if he had the right amount of credits to help her with her own goals. "But I need to return to my homeplanet in order to obtain more precise coordinates."

She clasped Saira's arm territorially. "Come my maiden. We will leave our new friend to his business here on Voss. Meet me on Iktotch when you are ready to start this journey and banish your demons for good." And with that the horned mystic left the temple. Her next stop was the Tower of Prophecy and she wanted to make it there by sundown as her search for information about the Voss Mystics hadn't yielded anything of note.

[member="Draco Vereen"]