Private Homecoming

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

The Voss. For Ireria, it was home. As for Benûwia, she has always considered Korriban or Dromund Kaas her home. Millennia have passed since the sisters last visited this place. Benûwia only visited here once, looking at ancient ruins at Nightmare Lands. But Ireria... she's bound to this place by a lot. She saw the planet burn when the Eternal Empire - the first which one is founded by their former emperor, Vitiate - burned it. She was here when the planet was rebuilt, with her own bare hands she helped the locals in this.

Here, she met her last husband, through whom she became a resident of the planet Voss and an accepted member of their race. She attended their ceremonies, the wedding ceremony, and countless others thereafter. She has become part of the planet, the absence of this did not appear until Xanesh had returned here with her disciple. Now she felt again, and because of their merged soul not just Ireria felt this, but Benûwia as well, i.e. Xanesh herself too. Then Ireria lived here for years until that accident happened.

And now she was here again, Xanesh was captivated by nostalgic feelings as she felt the planet itself. The proximity of the spirit world to which Ireria would have been able to cross here at any time, felt that time had stopped at this place and nothing had progressed since she had been here. However, she was glad that the feeling had not changed, it was the same to come back here as it used to be, and it will probably stay that way after all.

She recently became part of the Primyn Group’s inner circle and thus became Archon, after that she finally had access to a sufficient amount of support, she was able to establish the University of Archeology and Ancient Knowledge, in this context she was now here in this place with her disciple. The Voss was always full of ancient ruins. They were currently in the excavation camp and supervised it, they only arrived a few hours ago.

”Teresa, what do you know about the planet and the species that live here?” she asked.

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

Her eyes took in the orange hues of the world and listened to the distant sounds of creatures. It was a perk of her job now on hold, visiting worlds that was nothing like the last. The most subtle changes amongst civilizations kept things interesting. Things like architecture, culture, even to the food they ate. Normally there was research put into the places she would visit. Things like basic law, the locations she had to go on worlds. Yet coming here was not because of an assassination job, so she wanted the surprise. All in all the world seemed peaceful, the people was another story. They seemed strange.

Teresa looked over to her master as she asked a question. "Honestly nothing." She answered feeling like her answer would lead to knowledge about the world. "The voss from what I've experienced seems strange to me. I'd like to say detached but that does not feel like the right word to explain my first impression." Her attention turned back to the site of workers as they moved like Killiks. She would hazard a guess that the people here had worked together as a team before. clear communication and set out tasks. It was easy to tell apart those who was new and those who had done this for a long time. It was all in the way that they carried themselves.


Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

Xanesh nodded that the child didn't know much about this place. She was not surprised at all, not many people come to this world because it seems insignificant. It is true only for those who do not know and do not intend to waste time getting to know it. Suddenly she didn't really know where to start, they should have had a history lesson, but they didn’t necessarily have time for that now.

Yes, perhaps it was more expedient there, which is why they came here and they were exceptionally not things related to excavation and the university. It was much more personal for Xanesh, that is, especially for Ireria. Once again she looked at the archaeologists and university students working for her, and now she devoted her full attention to her disciple.

”We are here for the Spirit World. The Voss is a very special planet, not least because the two species that live here come from a common ancestor, but also because of how the locals relate to the Force. There are several ways to reach the Spirit World. Ireria, at the time she became a member of the Voss race through marriage she learned from the Mystics the method of doing so. So we already know. This method worked for almost five thousand years, now we don’t know, we haven’t been here since. If we fail to reach the Spirit World in that way, we will have to find the remains of the datacron left behind by the Rakats, because only through them is it possible.” she said.

She then headed for the control room, where no one was present at the moment, she hoped her disciple would follow her. If Teresa joined her, she sat down on the floor in a meditative pose, then she motioned for the girl to follow her example as well. If she did, she would speak again afterwards:

” In a meditative state, the method we know can be used. Since you do not know all this, I will lead you to the Spirit World, when you're ready, we can start.” told her what the child could expect.

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

Teresa listened carefully to her master as she spoke. It was easy to tell how relaxed the woman was here and in some ways so was Teresa. It was shown in the way she held her wings, they was not as close to her back and was much lower to the ground. It was rare that she felt like this. Usually it was just aboard her ship when she was alone outside of that the woman would be working and it was tense work. As she listened Teresa would sip from the lid of a flask that hung by her waist. Caf was not stimulating to her like most others, however she enjoyed its taste. Once Xanesh stopped speaking she began to walk towards a building.

She stood there for a moment looking around at the workers once more before following behind. She would sit on the floor across from Xanesh with crossed legs, her wings stretched to her sides along the floor to make sure she did not hurt herself and get comfortable. Honestly she was confused by what was said. What did the spirit world have to do with her training? Not only that but this whole meditation business was not something she knew how to do. Teresa thought it as a thing jedi and pacifists did. "I'd like to ask some things before we start if that is okay?" Teresa said having many questions pent up in her thoughts. "So why are we trying to go to this spirit world?" She asked curiously. "Also I remember asking you when we first met in person but you keep referring to yourself as we and other names. Are you talking about old lives or something akin to a personality disorder?" It wasn't till she asked how that may have came off as insensitive or insulting. Yet her tone of voice spoke volumes that she was coming from a place of wanting to know more about the person who'd taken her under their wing, and yet it bothered her that someone was taking the chance on her.

"Also I wanted to ask why you accepted me as a student? I'm nothing special, a pathetic existence really and will likely be a... failure. I want to know what you see in me." Teresa said with much self doubt and lack of confidence in herself as a person worthy of time. Sure she sought a master and expected nothing would happen. A client had recommended her to Xanesh and was the foot in the door. Even though it was a path in the direction she wanted Teresa struggled to accept she had potential.

Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

They could not start the training and the meditation yet because the child had a couple of questions. Xanesh nodded that she could ask the questions if she wanted to. She soon received the questions, one was quite relevant to the current situation, and the other... well, she thought the child would ask her earlier. But perhaps so far it had either not been very important, or she had not gathered her courage.

”We are proficient in Sith sorcery and alchemy, just like in necromancy. This place can also be linked to necromancy, or it never hurts to prepare against opponents who are attacking your soul, not your physical body.” she explained. ”Last but not least, it expands your knowledge as well, not many are capable of this except the Voss Mystics”

She has not yet answered the other question, she waited until the girl understood the essence of this, if she saw that she accepted the explanation, she continued.

”We have no personality disorder. We were two people in our previous life, twins. Benûwia and Ireria Antares, we lived at the end of Vitiate’s reign, we also experienced his final destruction. As Ireria we were the historian, as Benûwia we were a Dark Counselor. We performed a ritual that was disturbed by something or someone, we don’t know that. Our physical body was destroyed, but our souls were merged into one soul, that was how Darth Xanesh was born.”

No further details were required to the explanation. For the time being, only the Emperor knew the details, when she first spoke to the man, she told him everything. After that she got one more question, she even smiled very faintly at it, Ireira asked this at the time, in exactly the same way, in contrast, Benûwia was offended by what lasted so long. They were different, very very different.

”Because we have seen in you the potential to become a powerful Force-user. Therefore we have chosen you as our disciple, we are confident that our answer will satisfy you.”

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

As she sat there across from her master, Teresa listened intently not wanting to miss a single word of the answers she was been give. The first was a brief explanation to her first question. It never occurred to her that attacking someone's soul was a thing but to be prepared against such a thing would be useful knowledge. Of course Teresa had heard the tales of the necromancers in the sith empire, in a way it sent shivers up her spine. It was not the act of doing it but it been done to her body. It made her question would a person be aware of such a thing and be conscious about it while their bodies are been twisted to someone else's will. However what knowledge she would gain Teresa would be grateful.

Her second question that was answered made sense to her on the surface. Her master was actually two people not just one person with different personalities. It atleast made it interesting. Then finally the answer she struggled to accept because she had yet to learn to accept herself. Even though she found it hard to accept the last answer she felt like what Xanesh said was truly meant it. Unknowingly it was a step in the direction the woman needed. Never before someone believed in her and now infront was someone willing to accept Teresa for something more than a tool to be used for others goals.

Teresa nodded. "Yes." She said softly and almost timidly as she hung on those words. The woman took a deep breath in and exhaled trying to push out conflict. "I am ready to begin master..." Teresa said loudly making it seem her words was not a pause. "And thank you." This time she had whispered it so quietly there was almost no sound.


Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

”Then start meditating!” she said.

Xanesh did not receive any more questions after the previous ones, only confirmation that they could start training. She nodded imperceptibly and began to meditate. Meanwhile she reached out to the Force and extended her consciousness to her disciple. Waiting for the child to reach the appropriate level of meditation when he may be able to pass his soul into the spirit world. So for now, she only intended to watch the child perform the task.

If at some point she will realize that the girl has reached the proper state necessary for the task, then she actually joins the meditation as well. Since iIreria knew exactly how to reach the soul world so Xanesh used her knowledge, only this time not only for herself, but also for the child. Teresa could feel as if she was dizzy, even if her eyes were closed. Then a feeling followed as if she had been shaken, then suddenly the air temperature changed to optimum, the wind could not be heard from outside.

”Now you can open your eyes” her voice sounded distant, though she stood beside Teresa.

The environment was the same as before, just everything seemed airy and orange, just as they themselves were. As always, it was a feeling for Xanesh that it was both ghost and real. She stepped out of the tent where they had been so far, out there, the landscape faded to endless orange. Those who worked here were not visible in this dimension. Instead, translucent, airy animals grazed in the distance, they were also orange in color.

”This is the spirit world.” she said. ”It's time to find an opponent for you.”

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

Teresa's eyes would close with her hands resting on her knees palm up. There had only been a rare few times she had meditated, it was not something she herself considered worth doing, but it was a necessary step. At first she would count her breath "four seconds inhale, six seconds exhale." she'd repeat in her mind till it felt normal. There was a feeling that her head felt light and over all dizzy, really dizzy. It was followed by the feeling as if she was been shaken and a vast amount of warmth washed over her. Her mind had not yet noticed that the outside sounds no longer was present. No sounds of workers talking loud to one another or the sounds of their tools, even the sound of wind that rushed over the control room.

”Now you can open your eyes.” The distant voice said yet sounding as if it was next to her. It was of course her master's voice and thus Teresa opened her eyes, then wider as the expression on her face matched. "Waaaaaaaw." She said shocked at the endless orange hues. Even she was orange as well as her master. "Wait opponent?" she said in response. Normally she researched her opponents where she could. Any other time it felt as if fighting blind. "Could you elaborate, what kind of opponent?" She asked sort of worried. It had not been ten seconds before entering such a strange place. The woman did not even understand how this place worked let alone picking fights. She would tap at her sides feeling that the lightsaber was attached to the belt, there was that at least knowing she was not defenceless.


Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

”Yes, opponent.” she replied calmly.

No more attached to it, the child will have to figure out for herself how things work here. She was a little disappointed, hoping that here in the spirit world the two sisters would be separate, but it seemed that too much time had passed since the two souls merged. She smiled at the question of what kind of opponent. She looked around to see where she could be a suitable opponent for the child. She didn't even have to wait long to hear the deep, growling-like sound.

”Follow us!” she said.

She started walking in the direction of the voice, not so far away was the roughly the terrain on which they examined the ruins, that is, the people in her company, university exactly. The sound came from inside the building, she did not reach for her lightsaber, though it also worked here, but she did not feel the need. Rather, she explained a thing or two to the girl to see if the whole thing would help her.

”Our physical body is also here in this place not just our soul, or consciousness, in this place it is similar to the Netherworld. You can use everything in the same way as in the normal world. Although your mind also plays a big role, the Force is present in the same way, your weapons have the same effect. But there is something that you can only achieve with your mind or the Force. Ah! And here is your opponent!”

Meanwhile she entered the building, and if her disciple followed her, she reached out her hand and pointed to the "living" creature inside, that is, an opponent. In the real world this creature was not there, some ruins lie in this place, but here in the spirit world this creature still existed. Xanesh just stopped by the wall at the entrance, and let the child deal with the creature.

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

"You've got to be kidding right?" She said not expecting an answer. The woman looked at the beast that glowed orange. Spikes protruded from atop its head giving it a shape like an arrow head, and attached to the sides was two gargantuan tusks. The woman was used to killing people not monsters. As she stood there studying the beast trying to work out its soft spots or its obvious weak points. Compared to its body the beast had small eyes and as a guess its body did not allow much in the way of turning its head, however she could only guess that its back was more armored than its front.

If there was a link to what her master just said Teresa couldn't click it. Her hand reached down to the lightsaber clipping it off the belt. The gaze of the apprentice and beast met as it now moved towards her, and the girl did the same. Each step echoed like a droplet landing in a body of water in a cave and the creatures was like a boulder falling in a distant valley. After around three meters Teresa moved into a run strafing to the right side of the beast. She would jump and push down with her wings creating lift. However she did not get far as the beasts hand reached up swatting her back to the ground.

The woman stood up with determination as she charged at it. Watching the beasts movements as she closed the ground its hands moved up and slammed down. Just before they reached down Teresa hopped backwards dodging its attack, with use of her extra appendages she launched her self forward onto the clasped hands. First frost then ice the little sith made an attempt to bind its hands with cryokinesis. Ice spread fast to buy her a moment as she moved her attack to sending lightning towards its face. In the beasts rage it swiped Teresa with its tusk once more sending her toppling. The creature ripped its hands apart and smashed down with a single fist at Teresa. She quickly reached out her hand using her abilities to push it back enough so she could kick with her feet to push her body away. Using the momentum and her flexibility she rolled her self back up onto both feet. She'd already felt strain on her body as she panted. Anger swelled in her along side frustration. In temper Teresa reached out with the force gripping at its leg and yanking it forward vigorously.

The beasts weight shifted as it fell to the side. Its scream filled the room as she once more rushed forward and ignited the saber. With a lunge to its throat the girl sliced through the neck towards the head as the beast made attempt to stand back up. Instead it's dead weight fell onto Teresa trapping her between its tusks.


Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

Xanesh just didn’t have much to do, just watch her disciple as she struggled with the creature. But in the end, she didn’t even watch it for so long because something else distracted her. A larger flat piece of stone on the ground. She walked over, squatted down and picked it up. It was a clay tablet with some inscriptions on it. It was only very faintly because it was ruined by the iron teeth of time. It was impossible to know how long she had been here. That is, for most.

Xanesh, that is, Ireria, got to know the board exactly, was one of the gifts from her husband. Although the inscriptions were no longer visible, she remembered exactly what was on it. For every word. Of the two sisters, she was the one who was married twice. Benûwia never, only gave birth to children from sufficiently strong and viable partners. In contrast, Ireria was in love but never had a child. She would have once, but had an abortion, never tried again.

Out of contemplation, in the end, the fact that she heard the noise of struggle dragged her back to reality. She eventually put the board in one of the larger pockets of the dress on it, which may come in handy later. She walked closer to the place where the young woman was fighting, then saw her disciple there lying just below the carcass of the killed animal. She didn't help, though for a moment she remembered she could, but in the end she didn't. It was up to the disciple to see if she could do all this.

In the meantime, she looked more into the distance, where she saw figures watching them. It has always been gratifying to see that there are others here in this place as this place has always kept more and more surprises and wonders.

”Hmm.” she hummed.

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

Been trapped between the tusks of the dead creature was an inconvenience, yet Teresa was thankful she had not been crushed by it. Letting herself drop the tiny distance the the floor her hands moved up. She strained with the force as she began to lift the beast from off her and dumped it to the side. "Please tell me there will be no more of those, things." She murmured to herself now lifting herself up from off the ground. Teresa instinctively patted down the clothes she wore to brush off dust, then looked up.

"You look distracted master." The small sith said commenting on the thousand parsec stare Xanesh gave off. Teresa did not notice others off in the distance her focus was on waiting to follow her master or instructions that followed. Although she had a question lingering in the back of her head. One of curiosity. "So I assume we cant take objects from this realm back to reality, or would they cross over?" Teresa asked. If she was able to she thought about cutting the tusks off as a trophy and momentum.

Her ship was empty besides clothes and necessities, been an assassin for hire left little time for taking trinkets. The job was always in and out, that was safer and less risk of detection. Yet this was different, she could take if it was aloud by the rules of this place.


Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

Xanesh didn't even hear the first sentences, nor did she watch the young woman climb out from under the predator. What she saw in the distance interested her much better. In the next sentence, however, she heard Teresa speak. Then she looked at the girl, who had just spoken again. She didn't really understand why she seemed confused, she wasn't.

”We have only seen some former Voss mystics we have known throughout our lives.”

That is, she was really known by Ireria, as she had a connection with the planet and the locals, not Benûwia. This place was a local afterlife like Netherworld, maybe part of it, it didn’t know exactly yet. How could she have if she had never been to the Netherworld? She didn't even know if she could go there at all or not. She may even get an answer to that later; she nodded at the question.

”Only something that exists in our reality can be brought back in this way. “Living things” like what you killed before no longer exist. Just a spirit and a soul, a former shadow of itself. It was once alive in this place, even thousands of years earlier. If you pick up a stone, there’s a good chance you’ll be there in your hand if you come back to yourself. But the killed wild trophy is not.”

It was an interesting world, a dimension, yet Xanesh loved being here and exploring.

”Do we remember well that you are also interested in archaeology?”

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

She somewhat expected the answer and yet felt disappointed. In terms of size that had been the biggest thing she had killed. She'd look back at the dead spirit taking a mental image instead. She was unable to forget anything and so this would be a good memory. Although as Xanesh kept talking she though maybe she didn't need to take a big lumbering trophy. Maybe a stone with an interesting shape would be enough. She looked around till seeing one that pequed her interest. She bought it to her hand using the force. The stone was nothing special by the looks of it, It was rounded at the bottom but came to a large spike. with small natural crystal formations around it. It would do Teresa though as she placed it into a satchel.

Just as her attention turned back to her master the woman would ask a question. "I have done somethings like it in the past when a contract was involved. wouldn't say I am interested per say, but I also understand that history can teach valuable lessons. A planets history can say much about the people who live in it today. Particularly the art created over generations tell a big story. As I have told you however. Any knowledge you have t to offer I am willing to learn." Teresa found it strange however, she knew more about the history of other worlds and species and even though she cannot forget she can't remember anything of her childhood. It was a history locked from her. The earliest memory was as a slave. No parents or siblings, not even friends. Just servitude that filled her deep with anger and rage that filled her being at the thought.


Ardana Vorco

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: UAAK’s excavation area, Voss
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tag(s): Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

Xanesh would never have “sold” herself. It means this in a sense like working for someone else. Serving the Sith Empire was one thing, but they both loved independence. That’s why Ireria always went to do research outside the borders of the Empire when she could, and that’s why Benûwia got to the Dark Council. But that used to be, though even now they were mostly independent and did what they wanted. Maybe they're more independent than they used to be.

”We understand. Yet knowledge of history is very important because history can tell a lot more about a species than their current state. Only the entire history gives an accurate picture of a race, a planet, an Empire, or a state. Not to mention that without this, today’s Sith wouldn’t be capable of too much either. Most of the knowledge they use comes from the past.”

This was already the case in her day, she had to know the things of the past in order to look at the future at all and create something new. This place here was the past itself, although unfortunately they will not see buildings or the like here because this world has not been able to show it, but other souls could be contacted and talked to, learned from them. Ireria did this a long time ago when she also went through Voss ceremonies and actually became Voss herself. Not biologically, of course, but spiritually.

”This place is perfect for learning, most souls are very cordial and answer questions. If you feel you have a question in their direction, feel free to talk to them.”

​