Private Hunter, or Hunted?

[Minka Vosh]

On a tropical planet in a remote pocket of Wild Space, surrounded by the territories of the Bryn'adul and the Silver Jedi Concord...

The small one squealed a lot. Minka's eyes flashed up to the Crocin dangling upside down from the ancient tree. He--or she? No clue-- was tethered to the thick branch above by one of the many vines winding around is bark. The warm, humid night air chirped and sung with unseen nocturnal creatures, but none were as loud as that one. Minka was beginning to think she should have killed them, and saved another for torment. Maybe the Mythrol? Nah, that one hadn't smelled good. Neither did the Crocin, but...it was the least offensive, judging by her nose. By her tongue, it wasn't half bad, either. Could definitely use some seasoning, though.

The small fire crackled near her black leather boots, and reflected orange and gold twinkles on the side of the nearby pirate ship that she had unofficially claimed. There hadn't been many of them. Just a small band of marauders. Enough to keep her occupied, for a time. None of them had been Force-sensitive, which was something she found a bit disappointing. The Tradoshan put up the most interesting fight. Such an aggressive species. He didn't enjoy losing, and didn't go down cleanly, as evidenced by the sloppily dismembered body parts now strewn about the tall grass around the ship. Pools of blood stained the area in dark patches. A few other corpses were hidden around in odd places, soon to be reclaimed by nature.

An even louder shriek from the Crocin drew her attention again to the flailing creature above her. Pausing mid bite, Minka slowly lifted the roasted, severed arm she had previously liberated from its pint-sized body. It barked something in return that she didn't understand--probably cursing her. Or maybe begging? She didn't care. Lowering the arm, she peeled a few more charred scales back, and resumed her dinner.

She liked being out here. The rural spots were easier for her to relax. Ever the cautious (paranoid) one, being in densely populated areas felt draining over time. Forcing her psychic little tendrils to keep track of those around her, constantly on the alert for anyone Force-sensitive in the vicinity, turned into a burden. Wild Space was far less treacherous--in her biased opinion--than where she originated. But even out here, she couldn't drop her guard.

Having her fill of Crocin, she tossed the remaining flesh into the grass by its protruding bone, and stood up from the small boulder she'd been crouched on with a sigh. "Don't go anywhere." A sweet warning called to the wriggling reptilian hanging by its bound legs. It was a voice that was deceptively disarming, almost playful. Then she paused, glancing up with a curious tilt of her head. Having seconds thoughts, or so it seemed. No doubt born of paranoia.

In a brief, vibrant fan of red and white light, the Crocin shrieked and flailed from its tether as its remaining arm was severed with her lightsaber. It fell to the ground with a dull thud, and the blade disappeared again as she walked off between the trees. Searching for that river she passed on the way there.

Now the Crocin was even less likely to escape its binds, and if it did...well, it wasn't operating a ship without hands, was it?

OrbitingWords

 

[OrbitingWords]

Ancient trees ended abruptly as the ground sloped at a treacherous angle for about eight feet before plunging into a collection of large rocks, more than fifty feet below. It was next to his landing site. The Sith apprentice had chosen this spot specifically; close enough to be reached with haste if necessary; it also served as a fallback plan given his intentions for coming here. While many times the future often felt predictable, the outcome of this encounter was one he still felt unsure of at times.

For a moment he looked at the cliff, judging all the factors. The night wind blew into his face. He took a deep breath, and backed up a few paces. Finally he was back on the move. Relentless desire drove him forward when little else could have possibly served to stimulate him; there was an insatiable craving to decipher a question that he could yet fully explain.

The journey to this remote planet had not been pleasant to say the least.

Prior to feeding his mouth had been dry, yet his tongue now was puffed as a reaction to his most recent meal just minutes ago. Cool hands were clotted with dirt and stained with blood as the smell of death lay thick around him. The beast had been an easy target, and even easier to find. Before death, the animal would've felt the depths of the Sith's hatred for his victims--And just in it's final moments, it too would have witnessed the parts of Drenn that he often kept hidden deep inside as he robbed it of breath.

All that separated him and the target was a large river that cut through the terrain. In the near distance he detected a smell of other lifeform the air; he raised his nose to the dark sky and sniffed in deep: not all were human like himself. Four smells, all uniquely different but at the same time, identical. He sniffed again: fire, and also burnt meat. Many races across the galaxy liked to burn their meat before they ate it..Some even liked meat that bled warm when taking first bite. With each silent step the scene became more clear. In past encounters he would stalk around, circling them as prey, keeping out of sight, and always quiet as a shadow.

The Zabrak in particular he had been following for a time now. There was no doubt in his mind that she was already aware of his presence. He did not take this one for a fool; she too was strong in the force and possessed a dark heart. There was no logical reason as to why he would have traveled across these parts of the galaxy at the moment in pursuit but everything would become clear soon.

As he walked unhindered by the darkness that surrounded, Drenn realized that he had been hearing a sound; an exchange of words coming from nearby, along with suffering. He could have revelled in their torment for as long as it lasted if possible. Soon he stopped, gathered his focus and became fully alert, reaching out with his ears for the voice, but as he ceased his movement the muttering seemed to stop as well.

Now Drenn wanted her to know he was watching. He stuck out his left hand, stretching his fingertips as far out as they'd go. Branches from one of the ancient tree's began to rustle, causing a flock of winged nocturnal creatures that were small in size to flee off into the moonlit night. The Sith wasn't ready to reveal himself just yet.

 

[Minka Vosh]

Drifting into the dense forest, the humble crackling campfire quickly disappeared behind her. An erratic glittering of heat suffocated by the shadows of night. Most not sensitive in the Force would have managed two steps before tripping over a root, tangle of vines, or something more sinister, but not the Zabrak. She moved with fluidity, stepping, climbing, and ducking quietly through the veils of lush foliage. Making it look surprisingly easy, but only at a leisurely pace. Moving with haste in this environment would be riskier than racing alongside a cliff. There were creatures hidden within not even she felt like tempting into chase. Not with such limited room to maneuver, anyway.

A flock of small flying critters burst into the sky, fleeing an unseen threat with they're shrill warning cries. They weren't close enough to have been disturbed by her. Pausing with her hand on a soft vine, she listened intently. Not with her ears, but through the Force. A small smile twitched unseen in the inky darkness, and then she slipped beneath it to continue on her way. Ahead, the faint bubbling of water flowed gently over rocks. Behind, the 'vine' recoiled and snapped away into the safety of the tree, as if burned by the touch.

Whether or not she had sensed someone stalking her in the haphazard journey through the frontier of the Sith Empire's reach and into the equally perilous territory of the Bryn'adul, and finally Wild Space...they had chosen to make their presence known now, and she had received their 'greeting'. There was no return, however. That in itself could be telling, if the Sith Apprentice chose to read into it. Or perhaps, it was misleading... Hard to tell, when there was nothing to work with. Nevertheless, her signature did not wane, and he would be able to trace after her, with some effort. Though she never announced her presence, so to speak, it was not efficiently cloaked now.

When inevitably he laid eyes on her, wherever his position, he would find her stopped at the bank of the river, blanketed by black sand and smooth stones. Pale moonlight reflected in bursts off the water as it flowed steadily. The pace would carry one with its current, but it wasn't so fast as to be dangerous, at least in this area. It was several meters across, with varying depths. During the day, the bottom could be seen in many parts, provided the sand and silt wasn't stirred. At night, it was as black as the rest.

With a clink of metal and brush of leather, the tactical belt layered over her obi was released, and set down on a dry patch of stones. With it, the hilt of a lightsaber and sheathed vibrosword, among other things, were discarded. One by one, the rest of her hidden weapons and belongings were unearthed. Smaller vibroblades, the handle of a vibrowhip, all placed in a neat row. Their alloys shining like a beacon on the dark rock. Then came the fabric, unwinding from her waist, only to be folded back into a neat square, and placed on another stone.

She took her time, drinking in the warm breeze with its menagerie of wild scents as she faced the water. Her clothing was just that--clothing. There was no protective armor to be found. Even still, the fact that she was choosing not only to disarm herself, but peel everything off layer by layer, was a curious thing. A decision that made her seem about as mad as her late Master had been, before her undignified execution.

Eventually, she was freed of everything but nimble leather pants and boots. Her bare back rippled with scars both swooped and rigid. There, she paused, a long silver ponytail slipping to the side as she cocked her head slightly. "I know you..." She mused aloud as something in the Sith's presence sparked in familiarity, but in such a tone as if she was murmuring to herself.

OrbitingWords

 

[OrbitingWords]

For a second he felt disappointed as she quickly disappeared. Quiet as a Gorg, light as a feather, sword-slim and graceful as a vibro dagger, he was on the move as well; he wondered for a moment that if he had reacted sooner, whether he would've gained any advantage. Drenn had never felt like a liability in any situation. In most encounters they never suspected it, to look at him: full of harmful characteristics, and an appreciation for the darker side of life.

Tuning in his focus with the Force, arms rose just as steadily as when he began, pumping rhythmically as his legs followed suit, sprinting onward in a wicked speed that most species could only dream of. Agile and swift, he leapt and bounded atop all in his way as he weaved in and out of the trees, grinning wildly as his heart beat across his chest like a hammer over anvil while striking against Beskar. All of these trees and rocks were but new terrain to explore in his eyes. For a time, Minka created a distance between them that left herself far from his physical reach.

Confident and unyielding, not a sound could be heard as he continued to dash through any obstacle before him--it was in this manner that most beasts who encountered The Sith often become wary, recognizing that a true predator was on the howl. He wouldn’t stop running until the trees became thin and the darkness grew stronger.

For a brief moment he thought he lost her.

Again.

Not this time.

Taking a great leap, he bursted forth from the treeline, tucking into a roll and coming to rest in a crouch, overlooking all the ground from behind that was recently covered. Her camp seemed long gone now.

He began rising to his full height, standing in silence as as broken stone and dirt crumbled. It would reveal his location once more to her as he stared at the woman nearly fifty meters in the distance, positioned by the river bank. The Sith's eyes flashed a steelish grey as they focused solely on the path ahead with a Rancor like intensity. He chuckled to himself, gloved hands resting at his sides as joy glowed brightly in the depths of his gaze. Small steps were now being taken.

"I always wanted a zabrak of my own." He called out while still physically hidden, with words that almost felt warm and soft. Drenn was coming off of an adrenaline high from the the little chase that just occured.

A single hand ran along the surface of a tree branch before finally emerging from the line of shadows that had engulfed him and leapt down towards the river, plunging in it's shallow area before rising once more. The water went up to his ankles, but he gave no attention to this.

"Why must we always play these games,” he questioned, his voice dangerous but playful, as if he were a cat with a cornered mouse. But she was not trapped, and Drenn realized that he had made himself vulnerable now, should she decide to attack. "Do I need to lock you away in my ship--"

The darkness of the late hour seemed to do little in cloaking her body from the current angle. If anything, it almost further accentuated it and intrigued him while studying the scars upon her flesh. It was a deliberate choice to be unarmed he realized now, and he pondered on her reasoning for this. He continuously sought her out, savoring the sight. The Apprentice could've done this forever, but it was too dangerous.

He let the silence stretch for only a moment more as if considering what to say next. "'-In a deep, dark hole in my ship until you honestly can't remember what the sun looks like. I would crack away at your spirit until it shatters, no matter how long it takes. Every fear that you still have, I would expose." The Sith was at a halt now, within distance to release recently acquired skills if needed, though at the moment he had no intention of doing so.

 

[Minka Vosh]

The riverbank splashed with his bold entrance. Tearing into the open like a starving animal that refused to give up the chase, once it caught wind of potential prey. Passion, viciousness, determination, confidence... These were the things she sensed from him. The things he reeked of. She understood them well. They were of a similar breed, after all. There was at least one difference between them, however. She was less reckless now. More...patient, and calculating. The past year, with all its new experiences and difficulties, had taught her much more than she ever imagined.

Minka smiled, eyes fixed on the dark cloth in front of her. Not even a flit in his direction--not yet.

Finished with her folding, the thinner fabric of her inner tunic was dropped on top of the neatly stacked pile of clothing she had thus far gathered on the ground. Her hands moved slow and purposeful, as though she were in the comfort of her own safe and secure ship, far away from here.

"Drenn... That is your name." Calling abruptly, as if this whole time she'd been trying to place him from memory. She looked up across the wide river in thought, and then nodded slightly, sure of herself. It was almost insulting, the way she disregarded the threat he posed. Not once did she shift, or seek to cover her exposed flesh from him, either.

'I always wanted a Zabrak of my own.'

"A fan of my race, are you?" Musing curiously, a flash of violet caught him from the corner of her eye. "Of course you are. We are physically superior to yours. Two hearts are better than one." It was impossible to tell if she were being serious, or simply teasing him. The look on her face was unreadable. One thing was true, though. Without the Force to aid him, she could surpass his speed and endurance alone. It was simple biology.

Momentarily distracted by the image she presented, she watched him now as he watched her. Either her energy was being closely guarded or manipulated, or she was eerily calm. Flickering over his form, she appeared to case him for visible weapons and artifacts.

'...no matter how long it takes. Every fear that you still have, I would expose.'

Threat, or promise? She wasn't sure. He spoke those words with such vehemence, gnashing teeth as if she had done something to personally offend him. She doubted she had, given what little time they'd spent around each other in the past. Either way, it mattered not. With his somewhat vague, yet ominous threats, she slowly coiled down to the sand. Crouching as if preparing to lunge for him. Instead, her hand slowly moved to a boot, and pulled its zipper down.

"I believe you..." She murmured quietly, never taking her eyes off him. "You traveled far to get to me. Even into Wild Space... You are motivated. Driven by...prestige? Power? Tell me. What has compelled you to chase me to such lengths? What does your Master command of you, puppet?" Smiling slightly with that goad, she continued her casual undress. One boot, and then the other. When she rose, she stepped out of them, and set them next to the stack of clothing.

And don't be shy... Tell me what exactly it is that you plan to do. This time, her lips never moved. He'd hear her voice clear as a bell in his mind, reaching him in a telepathic link. Facing him fully, her hands moved for the front of her pants, pulling them open and slipping them down her legs. In detail. What fears do you think you could draw from me... Fears that my own Master, may she rot, hasn't already excised from me like a sickness. There was a trace of contempt in her voice at the mention of her own Master, but she didn't linger on the feeling. Far more focused on him.

Finally, the leather pants were folded in half. First lengthwise, then down into a small square like the rest, and dropped. Leaving her bare as the day she was born. There was much less scarring on the lower half of her body, but a stray stripe or two found its way winding around her thighs. She was undeniably toned, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. Unless he made a move towards her, she would turn slowly, and begin wading into the warm water. Seemingly careless of what might be lurking within, unseen.

OrbitingWords

 

[OrbitingWords]

Part of him still yearned to float on the cloud of bliss that derived from the hunt for a while longer..but it appeared to be over. For now.

Occasionally, insanity had its perks. The Sith's manic mind was well-practiced in touching on a thought, then cycling through a dozen more before coming back to the original, in a fraction of a second. Combined with his intellectual brilliance and ambidexterity, the human was capable of casting a simple spell while simultaneously preparing another defensive tactic if necessary.

He couldn't help but wonder if he was being lured into a trap.

"I can understand your reluctance to build relationships. You refuse to resign yourself to anyone now."

The complexion of his face was of a deep white; Studying and watching had entirely deprived his cheek of color it once had as she turned to face him directly. Stoicism then reigned upon his smooth unwrinkled forehead; even patience, expressed upon every feature, seemed to display Drenn equally unacquainted with caution and crimes. He never liked being called Drenn, even if it was his real name and the only one everyone knew him by. One day he would adopt the title of Sith Lord, and that name would fade as a memory of the past.

"Everything is motivated by power. But this is not on my Master's request. It is my desire. He manifests this power..epitomizes such..I merely crave it, Minka."

Not a single move was made towards the lightsaber attached to the belt on the robes that adorned his body. Rarely did his senses or intuition ever fail him. He listened carefully for dual heartbeats in which he could've only dreamed would accelerate and have fear falling off in waves. He wanted to revel in it; power, control, evocation of fear, all the things that made him no better than the bastard who permanently scarred her body. He was used to hunting down weaker prey. This time it seemed fear was replaced by a sense of wickedness. His sense of arrogance, impatience, and wildness that was at often terrifying and alluring to most would serve little use against the zabrak.

As he watched her move further into the water it was as if now she was basking in the moonlight, aglow as though she was a creature chiseled into something of great physical prowess.

He too moved further in, but no closer than he was only moments ago. The darkness around Drenn sighed as if it bowed to his grandeur and with him came a chill; a breath of death. There was something that beckoned him to her side rather than wishes to repel and attack.

"Do you plan to simply run for ages only to avoid becoming further embroiled in the politics of the worlds and galaxies we find ourselves embedded in?”

Force telepathy was an acquired skill gained in his academy, but not one that came natural to him. Regardless, his lips began to part once more. "All that I've desired thus far, has been received." Drenn whispered calmly in her direction, himself with a sense of awe barely hidden in the words. "All that I hated--has been destroyed."

His lower face was revealed from the shadows of the swaying hood pushed back from a warm subtle breeze, clearly displaying his now grinning mouth and slightly chapped lips. "But everything I have needed---I have lost." He paused momentarily. "You fear everything that you're running from.”

At last we would return the telepathy. Evasiveness. Further constrained. Asserting my dominion over you. Consequences that befell any resistance. But not as a Master. Your power is already strong. This much I know

 

[Minka Vosh]

It was too late to worry about being lured into a trap. He was already there. The moment he laid eyes on her, he was lost. That didn't mean he couldn't seek his way out of this illusory labyrinth, but he would first have to recognize that he was in one. There was yet to be any telling evidence that something was off, just by observing her, and their scenery. The only thing that might whisper the truth, was the Force. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind, that nothing was as it seemed. Being not quite as adept in such talents as she was, he might find some difficulty, but it wouldn't be impossible.

'I can understand your reluctance to build relationships. You refuse to resign yourself to anyone now.'

At this, the Zabrak laughed. A dark, throaty chuckle of genuine amusement. Once she had waded far enough for the water to reach her waist, she laid back. Floating weightlessly on the surface. Compared to him, she wasn't so pale, but she certainly wasn't as pigmented as she was capable of being, either. The water rippled around her. Not from her own body, but from something, or things, concealed below.

And what exactly have you been told about me, hm? That I abandoned the Sith for the murder of my deranged Master? I daresay I enjoyed her death more than they did. I certainly benefited more, in my own biased opinion. But here's the catch... We all knew she was out of her mind. Dangerous, even. She started turning her attention toward other trainees. But because I didn't jump to her aid when they ripped her apart, they called me...disloyal. Untrustworthy. The irony... I'm sure you can read between those lines as I did, because you are no different in your ambitions. They saw the opportunity for more power. They wanted to take what they could, and destroy me in the process.

Strange though it may seem, there was no trace of bitterness in her little speech. Only a wicked grin, as she floated along the surface with closed eyes. Somehow defying the natural flow of the river, as it swirled around her and carried on its steady pace.

'Do you plan to simply run for ages only to avoid becoming further embroiled in the politics of the worlds and galaxies we find ourselves embedded in?'

Eyes opening again, she glanced over to him. Noting how he'd followed her enough to match their distance, without closing it. He was wary, and more patient than she initially expected of him. Smart boy.

Running... Is that what you think I'm doing? Her voice sounded like a murmur in his right ear, as if she were standing next to him now. Yet she wasn't there, and still her lips remained closed. Now that I have left the Empire's territory, there is nothing to run from. Right now, I am simply...discovering a new life. There is much work to be had out here. So many tormented and greedy souls, willing to pay for the death or...dismemberment...of another. I am having the time of my life. A hand slipped from the water and rub up her abdomen and between her breasts, another grin flashing. This time, her teeth appeared longer, somehow. Like a row of razors. At the same time, her violet eyes flickered to black with white, reptilian pupils. Then, they were gone. The first visible sign that something wasn't right.

'But everything I have needed---I have lost.'

Ohhh...what have you needed, Drenn? What have you lost? Coming from the left this time, her voice was sickeningly sweet with concern.

'Asserting my dominion over you. Consequences that befell any resistance. But not as a Master. '

The Zabrak laughed again, a bit louder this time. Utterly delighted by his bold return, as he finally used telepathy. The hand resting idly on her chest shifted, passing slowly over a breast. In a wide arch around her floating form, the water lashed. Sending the smack of a wave to ripple roughly towards the shoreline. Whatever was beneath, it was big. For some reason, it wasn't compelled to touch her, though. Perhaps it feared her, as the deathly chill Drenn exuded around him reverberated in a creeping echo from her. Their energies combined were enough to put most living creatures on edge, within a wide radius.

There it is. The Sith I remember so well. I will admit... I am surprised you came all this way without command. Flattering... Do you really believe you have so much to gain from conquering...me? The voice whispered into his right ear again, but he likely wouldn't catch the change until he felt it. The voice came with a small tickle of breath. Then, a hand, snaking around his waist from behind. When he undoubtedly moved, he would see her. A clone of the very woman floating in the river still. This one watched him with an intense, hungry eye. Stalking around him slowly. Just like the other, this one wore nothing but the water curiously dripping down curves, as if she'd just walked out of the river.

The problem was, which Minka was real? The one still floating benignly, cackling as if she'd just gambled her way into fortune, or the one pacing alarmingly close to him? Or...neither?

OrbitingWords

 

[OrbitingWords]

A smooth tongue and an even smoother visual enticement, with appeal and enchantment, it was only natural that the Sith wished to explore those; an action that made him distant from the original objective of traveling here as he voluntarily gave into her game.

Ohhh...what have you needed, Drenn? What have you lost?

"All that was close to me has perished, but still I remain, and thus the universe has become a mighty stranger." He riddled.

Where normally both man and beast were afraid to tread, there now wandered a Sith tricked by sorcery, for a time. There was something exquisite about sinfulness, something magnificent about the way it drained from a victim's eyes when fear and realization engulfed them; for despair you see was the dark undertone of every fairytale and dream.

Drenn did not underestimate the zabrak, did not feign knowledge or familiarity, where once other vagabonds might have found certainty in the bond they believed they held. Instead of forging their union upon assumption or arrogance then, the Sith regarded her with a measure of respect, something many others were bereft of, when they too had walked upon these alien planets.

He ignored her laugh to his words from earlier, and listened closely as she spoke on her former Master. This was something he could partially understand. He had spent time in solitary both studying and reading references on Darth Bane, and the Rule of Two; one to embody the power, the other to crave it. Betrayal and deceit also made up a large portion of the Sith history, this he had known since his first day in the academy in Kaas city. The experience thus far under his own master was different than her own story, but that wasn't to say it couldn't change one day.

"It is a delicate system, you understand.” A statement, not a question, for Drenn had not survived for this long without a keen intelligence, honed over decades of survival.

For a brief moment he was piecing together parts of a disconnected realization, as there would be no desire or will to awaken such terrifying viewpoints of reality. As the view of her teeth amplified, it only reassured his speculations on this current situation; it was a moment such as this where those in a more dreadful position may slip into the throes of insanity from blind faith and not escape such sorcery.

The Sith turned to regard Minka with his indomitable gaze. Or was this one an illusion as part of her trickery? “I would..secure your borders from all intruders, living or otherwise. Together any who opposed us would perish. My name would be whispered as your...ally. From one planet to another all who know of your presence would fear you that much more." His known smile curled at the corner of his lips.

He needed those he could build a relationship with outside of the Sith Academy; a mistake he believed made by many who partook in his life duties.

This very planet served as an example of a lawless frontier where it was kill or be killed--but in many parts of the universe it was civilized worlds of politics, where the truest battles were fought at court, rarely on the battlefield.

Eventually he discerned the zabrak's real location but the whispers in his ear grew louder, and the very air began to thrum with the latent power that the Force could wield, Drenn allowed himself a another small smile; though he had yet reached his full potential, he yearned for days where he was strong enough to crush mortal bones to dust. His gaze shifted to her floating entity, then back to the one closest to him, taking a small gamble still.

"What say you?"

 

[Minka Vosh]

'...and thus the universe has become a mighty stranger.'

The universe is your oyster...if you have the moxie... The whisper passed without a decisive location this time, illusory or real. It simply implanted itself in his mind, almost as if it came from himself, yet it was her voice. The intentions behind it were opaque. Easy to comprehend on the surface, but its true motivations cloaked. Much like the hallucinations around him.

As he spoke, something stirred in the very air around him. Reality wavering as if he was underwater himself, and the air had never been air at all. A flicker of strange creatures, but only their shapes in shadows. Blemishes in his periphery. If he ever looked, they would be gone as quick as they came. Some of them appearing as the wild inhabitants of the river, both big and small, but others were too alien. Things born the Dark itself. Those were markedly different, with shapes more amorphous, and disembodied eyes flashing those small, jagged white pupils.

It was a distraction. All of it had been, but he knew that by now. A distraction to both buy her time as she assessed him, judged him...but also to toy with him, as it was one of her favorite pass-times. One nasty trait she inherited from her late Master, and would possibly never outgrow. She liked to experiment, in her own ways.

The laughter was gone, though. In it's place, a heavy silence fell. An utter absence of sound, even from his own body. It was as if he had gone deaf. The Zabrak circling around him stopped directly in front of him, and watched him like a large, predatory insect might. Emotionless and calculating, with the potential for explosive savagery. The being in the water by now had silently shifted upright, with nothing but her eyes and top of her head exposed above the forcefully stilled waters around her. Every once in a while, the violet eyes flickered into the more sinister ones again.

Something had changed, but the cause was yet to be known.

Behind him, the presence he recently excavated from this false reality became more distinct. He would sense it to be closer than it was initially. Either she had moved alarmingly quick, or the perceived distance had been a farce as well, which he was further unraveling.

"Found me, have you?" Her real voice called this time, coming from the nude Zabrak in front of him with another flash of sharp teeth...but it was thrown from its true source. The unmistakable buzz of a lightsaber ignited behind him, and instantly, both the illusion in front and the one peeking silently from the river wisped away, like smoke violently churned through beams of light.

All the sound of the jungle returned in full force as the illusion abruptly ended, roaring in to his senses and filling the void of silence that had been in its place. Chirping insects and flying critters hiding in the trees, and the steady rush of the river being most prominent. When he turned around, he would see Minka standing a few feet from him on the bank, fully clothed in her dark layers of leather and cloth, and with the glowing red saber angled down at the black sand by her side. A halo of red glitter shimmering in the faintest shift.

Nothing in her posture or expression suggested she was on the verge of lunging for him, but the space between them was short enough for him to recognize that he would need lightning reflexes, if he meant to evade or counter. The gaze was telling in its unpredictability, identical to the predatory insect from before.

"Curious... You came here with the intention of destroying me. My, how quickly the tables turn." She cocked her head slowly, watching him without moving from her position. "Was that little trick of mine so mesmerizing? Or are you afraid you've fallen in over your head?" Provoking him lightly, she tested his ego. Probing for cracks to infiltrate, and flames to fan. If he was tempered, she would smile slightly...and if not, she would enjoy the chaos that was bound to erupt.

OrbitingWords