It was an odd day for Srina indeed. Ever since the Golbah Games at Petranaki Arena, the pale Echani had remained close to Confederacy friendly planets. Mostly, she stayed remained by the side of Darth Metus. Despite her willful and occasionally headstrong nature, she respected her mentor and knew what was expected of her as an apprentice. Obedience. That was no different than the way she’d learned martial arts and various forms of melee combat on Eshan. Refusing to listen would land the student in the infirmary faster than a Kybuck on Kashyyyk. The Echani did not pull punches and they did not hold back in order to make the fight fair. They were a loving people, but they were simply not as gentle as some cultures when it came to training their young. Her Elders had prepared her for pain and had taught her to manage her fears. In return, she had become strong, and they had created a survivor.
Part of her wondered if her former superiors regretted their thorough teachings now. Now, when she fled from them and had successfully evaded capture and assassination attempts. Some of the clans thought to bring her home peacefully. Some tried a show of power and intimidation. Some didn’t want her to come home at all and went straight for the use of deadly force. It was a nightmare that she could never wake up from. A curse, in which she could barely keep others from harm.
Thus far, her kin had all but disappeared since she’d fallen under the protective wing of Darth Metus. She didn’t know how much they knew, but she knew they could sense power, and that her master had it in spades. They wouldn’t challenge her when she was with him. They wouldn’t dare.
She was on Isylrr II to pick up a package for her master. He was in need of specific materials for his alchemy and he preferred her to remain at a distance during part of those rituals. Why, she did not know, but she trusted his judgment. Srina slid easily through the crowd, wearing a form-fitting blue traveling dress, with white leggings beneath it. They tucked into pale brown boots. She wore a matching brown jacket on top of it and had white-gold hair pulled back into delicate braids and plaits. As usual, she looked more like young nobility, versus a force sensitive apprentice.
Ever since she’d left the Seraphim at the spaceport she’d felt eyes on her person. It was typical. Echani were lovely, and although Srina didn’t grasp the fascination, desensitized by their sameness, she was aware that most humanoid creatures tended to stare. That wasn’t all. There was an instinctual feeling that left her on edge. It was familiar. The feeling of being followed. Of being prey, to some experienced, confident hunter.
The gray-eyed beauty moved as easily as a river ran downstream. Once she broke away from the main street she turned down several alleyways to try and reassure herself. She chose her destination carefully. If a fight erupted she would rather that civilians be left out of it. Her seclusion seemed to have emboldened the men and women following her. A hand reached for her shoulder and the Echani darted out of reach swiftly, as if she had never been there in the first place. Her reflexes intense, dazzlingly fast, as she turned on a dime. “What do you want?”, she demanded, recognizing the silver eyes behind dark hoods, almost instantly.
She stared down her blood, her cousins, her aunts, her uncles, and could feel the something well within. Was it the force responding to her predicament? It surely wasn’t fear. Not anymore.
“You’ve gotten faster, child.”, came a voice that she knew. Helia. Srina could feel her heart drop. Helia had been one of her favorite aunts before she’d left Eshan. How could she be here? “Do not resist us. It is time to return. House Talon has hired—“
“—Liar.”, Srina snapped back, melodic voice filled with disbelief and anger. She was typically extremely calm and level-headed but the implication that her mother and father had anything to do with the horrors she’d endured incensed her. This was not the Helia that she remembered. The Helia that she knew would not spread such filth. “You mean House Eägon.”
Her aunt smiled, almost sadly, as she pulled down her hood. A long, glorious braid made of spun silver tumbled, reaching far past the shapely woman’s waist. “Talon, Vail, Eägon…It matters not. We will all be one House when we return to Eshan. Dalantus Eägon has ensured this. He is angered and embarrassed that his future wife has sent his warriors back bloodied and broken. He has ordered that we restore you to your rightful place with or without your consent. By any means necessary. His Elders are behind him, Srina Vail. You must know what that means… ”
“What about the Voice? The Priestesses? The Queen? Surely, Eägon has their consent?”
Helia hesitated, for less than a fraction of a second, but it was enough. She knew her mistake as it was made but there was no stopping Srina from seeing it. Her awareness was too strong.
“He doesn’t. Does he?”, Srina questioned, her gaze flickering as the alleyway became quite crowded. She understood now. This was the first time House Eägon had sent someone that was a direct relation to try and fetch her home. She was married to an Eägon son. Loyal, to that house, no matter her blood. Silver eyes fell deathly silent as they looked over the other hooded Echani. None seemed willing to respond to her. “Answer me, Helia. Answer me, or fight me. These are the only choices you have.”
Helia remained silent. Instead, she reached behind her back and pulled one of the cold forged vibroblades that the Echani were known for from a harness on her back. “We must complete our task blood of my blood. We do not wish to harm you.”
Srina understood what her aunt did not say. It was the Echani way. Military and matters of state always came before everything else—including blood. Helia and her unit did not want to hurt her. But they would.
Helia lunged forward and Srina jumped back, the Adar Bone in her boots giving her greater distance before she held out a seemingly empty hand. There was, in fact, a reason that she had lured them into a thin alley that made their fight close quarters. Only a fool, would typically challenge this many Echani in such a confined space. Her voice was almost pitiless when she said one word. “Draw.”
Something formed almost immediately in her hand, a gift from her master, that materialized out of thin air. It was a custom AY-214 combat pistol. The disruptor blasts had significantly less stopping power than the average blaster but that was exactly what she wanted. They had personal shields. There were only six rounds available before she needed to reload. That would be enough to surprise them. Echani rarely used blasters, considering them clumsy, and uncivilized.
Srina took aim before they had time to activate their shields and rapidly fired off all six shots. She didn’t aim for critical areas and was satisfied when at least two of them fell back a little stunned. All of their shields were damaged. Rather than reload, she let the gun slip away as she reached beneath her jacket with both hands, and pulled two vibroblades out into the open. “You can leave. All of you. We don’t need to do this.”
Her answer was claimed by her aunt once again becoming the aggressor. Srina twisted light as a feather and avoided Helia entirely. Instead, she went after one of her underlings that hadn’t moved. Surprised, the Echani rose his arm and an energy shield formed to block her blow. The former Seeker let her blade come down hard and watched as the force behind it overloaded the already damaged shield. She instinctively raised her other sword behind her head to block an incoming blow from Helia.
Everyone was tense, drawing weapons, discarding broken shields. It devolved quickly from there. Srina fought, as she’d been trained on Eshan, and there was little more than blinding flashes of white and the sounds of vibroblades singing swiftly through the air. The apprentice felt a swell of pity when one of her blades finally met flesh and drew across the thigh of one of her would be abductors. It wasn’t deep—But Echani blades were so cold they burned.
Helia was the biggest challenge in an uneven fight. The rest seemed a little more hesitant and cautious. Srina was a Spiritseeker. That was what little Echani grew up hearing nightmares about. It was said that the ghostly howl of a Seeker was sent to steal souls away. True or not, it was an Echani ghost story that kept her Aunt’s people on their toes and gave her a fighting chance.
A chance. Srina was already thinking of an exit strategy. She was good—but most of them, especially Helia, was equally so. She needed to put them down or run before they realized it.
[member="Sol Damerin"]
