Sojourn to Naboo

[Maple Harte]

Arriving at Naboo in: The Silent Erika

Currently studying: Book of The Five Phases

With: [member="Veronika Fleischer"]


Who is The Amalgam?

The question had come back to her since spending time with Veronika, who had come to Naboo with her. It hadn't been until half way there that she had had one realization.

Once long ago in the old Marksman stronghold of Loste Citadel she had fought a duel with a faceless creature that had called itself her mother. Something deformed and in pain. The Amalgam had started to call her daughter. It hadn't been hard to put two and two together:

The Amalgam had stalked her for half a decade. Maybe more. Had been obsessed with her long before she had made herself known. But why did the vile monster who'd murdered her friends perceive her as a daughter? That was the part that baffled her.

She remembered her first encounter with her, on Dantooine. That smug, cold look. The determination. The arrogance. It was still there. Except now all that smugness viewed itself with motherly obsession...

What kind of fething Sith was she?! The others she had killed had never developed this kind of viewpoint or anywhere near this kind of warped thinking. How could someone that had never had a friend suddenly claim to have a daughter?

Maple, after landing, letting Veronika sleep in, had let her curiosity get the better of her and she had opened up the tome she had struggled so hard to get, needing some sort of insight, any insight, into The Amalgam and what she believed.

Immediately she felt strange and cold reading it. Its words were...wrong. Evil and hissing in her brain even as she glanced over its pages. It was like it had been written in a stream of consciousness manner. She flipped through the pages, getting some sense of the philosophy. It was all about achieving transcendence. Trancendence through the suffering of others and working though and from shadows. Did this apply to the witch with a cyberpunk fetish? Was that what she was after? Trancendence? Evolution? But how was that different from other Sith? They all believed that they were on a constant evolutionary path of self perfection...what made The purple eyed fiend's take on that any different?

In any case, Maple, in her distress and fear of her opponent, commited one of the cardinal sins of an inexperienced witch...she read a witchcraft tome without reading it carefully.

But she'd pay the consequences of her indiscretion later. But just flipping back and forth and getting through its labyrinth of description she had picked up some slightly useful tidbits. But given these spells were based on the magic of the thing haunting her sleep, she knew she would have to be cautious. It actually disgusted her to learn this but the more she understood about The Brain Demon's magic, the better the chance was she might find some insight into seriously harming it, The Amalgam, or both...

(Plasmid Acquisition Theme plays)

(New Spells Learned!)

(New Force Power Learned!)

(New Skill Learned!)


Spell: BRAIN DEMON'S AURA

Spoiler

When used, this spell reverses the effects of all mental attacks back on its source for a short time. No levels as the magic is tied to an unholy entity

Spell Intonation: "Unholy Spirit, shield me in your dark arms."

Spell: SHADOWSLOW

Spoiler

When used, This allows Maple to slow down any solid projectile by a factor of ninety five percent, greatly reducing their damage in. But Maple must be submerged in shadow for it to work. No levels, being tied to an unholy entity

Force Power: FORCE ILLUSION

Spoiler

Used to conjure realistic hallucinations in another. Strength and variety of what can be conjured grows with the character's advancement.

Skill: BRAIN DEMON'S JUYO

Spoiler

Specialized variant of Juyo, developed by The Cult of The Brain Demon, which utilizes a reverse grip and elements of Makashi to the footwork, making for a tricky style that while still lacking most forms of defense, still manages to have slightly more than traditional Juyo.

Maple shut the book, overwhelmed by its subtle tug of power and wanting to get away from it. She was dressed, and began cooking, hoping the smell would wake Veronika up. She had docked at a hangar in Theed, Naboo's capital city. She hadn't gotten any weapons out. She wasn't here to fight. After what she had been through with The Amalgam she wanted a few hours at least to just relax and go sightseeing...maybe even go take her shooting.

Which reminded her...as she got out some eggs to cook she retrieved a small black case that had a red ribbon tied on and set it out on the counter for Veronika to see when she got up. Inside was something she had been working on for the cute blond...celebrity life could be treacherous, so it made sense to have a card up the sleeve. A card with several bullets in its magazine. Maple wasn't sure how much Veronika knew about guns, but it never hurt to learn...

Maple continued the process of cooking breakfast, whistling a little, still trying to figure out the significance of The Amalgam's staff...and her obsession with Uri.

Of all the people to obsess over and call daughter, why some Ex-Shadow that was basically a small fish in an ocean?

Maple's flaw, to point, was that she was still not considering it from The Amalgam's perspective. Or perhaps, did not want to consider it. She didn't want to put herself in The Amalgam's mindspace if it meant having to think like a parent.

This, more than any other deciding factor, was why she could not see the answer...

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Hitting the hot shower after the adventure on Ryloth was a great way to relax her muscles.

The blonde found herself under the shower longer than necessary when [member="Maple Harte"] decided to join in, not that she was really complaining when it came with a back rub. It was followed by a whirlwind of action before she finally wrapped herself under the blankets and cuddled next to her lover, eyes closing immediately. The witch was exhausted from her earlier adventure and it showed, barely stirring when Maple left the room. There were no dreams, just a deep peaceful sleep while the Silent Erika kept its navigation route.

She finally found herself woken up by the scent of food that had drifted into the room. Emerald eyes opened and shut. Veronika yawned and stretched herself, struggling to decide whether to get out of the bed or continue her sleep. In the end, the rumbling of her stomach won the decision and she dragged herself out of the bed to brush her teeth. She managed to grab a bathrobe to slip on, not exactly bothering to tie up the ends before heading towards the kitchen. There was nothing much to hide from Maple anyway.

"Morning..."

Veronika yawned, sticking her head towards the nearby window to see that it was dawn on the planet that they had landed. The glittering palace in the distance was iconic enough to tell her that they were in Naboo. She walked over towards Maple who was still busy with the stove and gave the brunette a friendly kiss on the cheek before settling herself on the chair.

"What's this? A present for me?"

Her eyes spotted the small black case lying suspiciously next to her, decorated with a red ribbon. Veronika guessed that it was for her, since there was obviously no one else onboard the ship. Still, the unwrapping could come later when food had arrived on the table.

"Thanks darling. Appreciate it."

The blonde offered a charming smile of appreciation while she poured out two glasses of the stimcaf. She levitated the bottle of pepper and sprinkled over her egg omelete for the fun of it before making a stab with her fork. The food was decent, better than what Veronika could have ever come up with since she had no idea how to cook.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple smiled as [member="Veronika Fleischer"] kissed her. The smile grew even wider when she saw she was wearing only a bathrobe. She finished the eggs and pancakes in short time and was soon drinking the stimcaf.

Maple looked at her fork, lifting it with her mind. Her telekinesis had gotten much more powerful as of late. Lifting small objects was relatively simple now...when her madness and the million directions it could pull her in didn't interfere, that is. Skip. The Mind-Binder really had been Veronika all along in a surprise twist. Skip. Back to reality. The telekinetically lifted fork placed the first bit of egg in her mouth and grabbed it for the rest afterward.

"I took us to Naboo to relax..." Maple spoke drinking some stimcaf, "After Ryloth, I need to...clear my head. We probably won't encounter trouble here but I'm never fooled by how peaceful a planet's reputation is. But its a really beautiful planet all the same."

Even here, violence could be found. She had killed a Sith trying to infiltrate Naboo's government once. But she had different things in mind.

"Birds, animals, flowers...I was thinking we load up on some minor provisions, take a hike through the countryside...and bring a choice selection of guns for target practice...maybe a submarine ride afterward?" Maple suggested coyly.

She wanted to spend a while walking, looking at animals. She loved animals. Almost any kind. She loved animals as much as Laertia, her estranged comrade did. Running into Laertia recently, seeing the damage, had broken her heart. She had never meant nor wanted to hurt Io. Laertia had loved their master like she was a mother. Laertia had grown up, lonely, and so used to pain she didn't really consider a state beyond it. Maple would have given her eyes to see Laertia healed of her wounds, physical and mental. She had to protect her from the evil witch and her unholy spirit. Laertia had suffered enough. The fears she had for everyone around her made her ask the next question.

"Why would she call me her daughter, Veronika?" Maple asked quietly, in regards to the Amalgam as she ate. "She's been stalking me for half a decade or more...why start calling me daughter out of the blue? What happened between when I fought her on Felacat to now?"

Maple got this terrible sense of familarity towards the Amalgam, but it was gone as quickly as it came. There was just too many blanks and unknowns and what she did know made no sense.

Did The Amalgam honestly want Maple to call her mother someday? What would that do for her--?

"When I first met that...fiend as a knight...she was nothing but a faceless deformed bag of crap. Then she shows up years later looking all flawless and cyberpunky...where'd she go inbetween me kicking her ass that first time on Dantooine and getting my ass kicked in turn on Felacat? What am I missing? Am I simply refusing to see what should be obvious...I...don't want anything bad to happen to you because of her. I don't meet psychos like her often...but she's very different compared to all my targets. If she hurt you...I don't even want to think about it but I can't help it. Maybe she's counting on that..." Maple trailed off, finishing her last pancake.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"Your powers are getting stronger, darling."

Veronika offered her compliment while noticing the stare from [member="Maple Harte"] that seemed to fixated on her bathrobe. Correction. The skin under the bathrobe. She smiled, eyes twinkling in amusement, feeling flattered to be stared upon. She allowed her lover to continue admiring her body, allowing the gaze to feed her ego and narcissism. She had always enjoyed the attention from others, but getting it from Maple was special.

"Naboo is a nice place. I'll admit, hiking isn't my favourite pastime but for you? Sure..." She smiled, casually playing the collar of her bathrobe to tease Maple. "The rest of the activities sound fun."

The witch picked up her stimcaf and took another sip, enjoying the dark bitter taste to waken her day.

"Let's spend a few days here then. I'll also want to spend some time shopping and enjoying the city night life. I look forward to picking nice outfits for all occasions."

Another smile and a flirtatious giggle. She had finished her breakfast by now, turning her attention towards the mysterious gift box, levitating it towards her hand and mentally pulling the ribbon apart.

"Hmm... feels heavy. Is it a gadget?"

She made a wild guess based on Maple's tastes, deciding that it was probably unlikely for the bounty hunter to give her jewellery. The box was opened to reveal a small looking pistol with several rows of bullets. Veronika beamed in delight, picking up the slugthrower to have a feel of its balance. She then cocked the weapon once and squeeze off the trigger, feeling the smoothness of the snap.

"Uri, Uri... Hahaha... I should have known you would give me a weapon. Thank you darling, I love it. I should test this out in the range later."

 

[Maple Harte]

"Ah yes, what I like to call your Chrisyakova Special." Maple said to [member="Veronika Fleischer"] admiring her handiwork a little. It had taken her three weeks to find the time to make it.

"Seven shots, takes incendiary, electric rounds, armor piercing. Crap range but its supposed to be for emergencies. It uses seven point six two by fifty one milimeter cut down rifle cartridges. You have to cock it every time to fire because I built it a certain way in order to silence it. Most military grade scanners won't pick it up but the frames ceramics have a warping problem in extreme temperatures and I wouldn't reccomend deliberately hitting it...but the best part? Shoot somebody with this, and a ballistics expert comes along without knowing? They're gonna think the person you shot was killed with a full on rifle at more than seven hundred yards out." she explained, before blushing a little at how she had geeked out describing Veronika's weapon. Maple took guncrafting very seriously, that much was obvious.

"Its small enough to keep in a boot. I, personally think you look gorgeous just holding it, frankly..." Maple said coyly, eyes locking on to how Veronika toyed with her collar. She smiled a little, remembering that golden skin...

How is it Veronika could do this to her? Make her feel like silly putty in her hands? She was like...catnip.

Maple finished her breakfast, playing with her fork which orbited around her hand a second before setting it down and gathering the plates. She had showered earlier and all that was left was to get ready.

"I have an absolutely wonderful selection of weapons...which would you like to learn more about?" Maple asked as she headed to the armory in her quarters, the bedsheets still tossed about from prior antics.

Ursula had taught her to wield nearly every type of firearm on the market, so her selection sprang the gamut. Depending on what Veronika picked, Maple would break it down for easier carry, then show her how to assemble it and fire it. But first...animals!

The mark on her hand itched and the novice witch ignored it as she pulled on her biker leathers, breaking down her own choice weapons, a,map, compass, and provisions (in anticipation of this she had obtained those DELICIOUS nerf 'n' noodle rations--she liked animals but she liked eating them also.)

She also got out spare hiking stuff and a backpack for Veronika, thinking again of her delightful green eyes and began to whistle a melody, trying not to get hot under the collar at the memory of the message itself.

Gods Veronika was catnip. But Maple worried for her still. Why had The Amalgam and the Brain Demon shown such interest in her? Why was her jart marking different? What had that thing done? She didn't trust the change to that mark to be purely cosmetic.

Maple shivered as she felt the faint brush of The Amalgam in her mind for a second. Faint. Very faint...not on the planet. Not even in the system. With growing shock Maple realized she had a bond to the fiend. It was faint...but growing.

How had that happened?

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"The Chrisyakova special. Fitting."

The blonde took another look at the weapon in her hand, admiring the craftsmanship while listening to her partner explaining the workings. She knew nothing about slugthrowers, but [member="Maple Harte"] was definitely in her zone. The way the brunette spoke with enthusiasm oozing, touching on the technical breakdown on how the firearm should best be used while her green eyes shone with excitement made Veronika realised that this was important to her partner. Veronika had never heard of a weapon using cut down caliber, but Maple had done it with her creativity, making it as a gift that had probably taken a while to craft. She had nothing fitting to give Maple for now though, except her gratitude.

"I'll bet it is light enough to conceal under a dress."

She smiled, noticing that she had managed to draw Maple's attention towards her looks. She enjoyed being the tease, that much was certain. She finished the breakfast soon after, leaving the plates to Maple who had volunteered to wash. The witch could not possibly prance around in her bathrobe for the sightseeing. She went back to the sleeping quarters and returned in a wool jumper, leaving her leather jacket in the pile of dirty laundry.

"You are asking me about weaponry? Gracious me. I have absolutely no idea. Probably a good versatile blaster works best."

The witch spoke the truth. The last time she lugged a full sized rifle out to fight against the Mandalorians and did not fire a single round, her attention mostly spent on casting spells. She would probably ditch the rifle for a good blaster. The witch looked through the weaponry available and picked out a heavy blaster, having no idea what model it was. Maple would have to explain everything to her later. The blaster went into the backpack that was given to her. Veronika made sure the bag fitted her outfit by posing with it in front of her pocket mirror. The backpack also swallowed her makeup pouch, a bottle of water, a flask of whiskey and her own provisions.

"Ready? Let's go-"

She noticed the expression on Maple's face that suggested something was off. Almost immediately, she felt a chilling sensation brushing past her forearm where the tattoo was. It felt familiar. Veronika stared at her own tattoo for the moment, half expecting the picture to change. Nothing happened though. The chilling touch had went away.

"Darling, are you alright? Let's ignore the Amalgam for now. I don't feel her presence anymore."

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple was shaken from her reverie by the words of [member="Veronika Fleischer"] and felt the anxiety of the Amalgam's mental brush fade away. She hated the shapeshifting creep with the mega ultra creepy parental fixation...

What could possibly make her call herself my Mom? I'm FETHING HUMAN. HUMAN. H.U.M.A.N. The Amalgam is a Shi'ido. S.H.I. Comma thing between letters. I.D.O.

Maple didn't remember her mother. And since the evil witch had made the claim, Maple, legitimately taking seriously that she might be a shape shifter but was too insane to recall it, had actually done a DNA test on herself. She was a hundred percent human, without question. That was the only thing about her that was a certainty. She's playing games. She has to be. Maple had been very young when she was given to the order (her insanity didn't make the specifics of what faction of the order all that clear at the time and still didn't.) and her parents were just blurs, like their house. Could the Amalgam have been somehow involved back then? But how would she have come into contact with Maple's father?

"You're right...lets go. Oh! You picked one of my Tystels! Iridonian model, VERY nasty. They used to be in high demand during this really ancient war...My first experience with heavy blasters was an iridonian model like this. Better to hold it with both hands though. Kicks like a rancor on glitterstim..." Maple joked, taking her pack as she gestured for Veronika to follow her. She wasn't going to let the witch with a cyberpunk fetish ruin it all.

Later on...

The city was lovely, the streets bustling, but she had picked a point of the city that led closely into the woodlands and grasses she wished to travel, and it was not long before the life of Naboo slipped into her like a surge from a bubbling brook. She looked with wet, green eyes that glistened in delight as she neared the city outskirts already seeing wildlife and deer like animals roaming in the distance. Her heart swelled, and all the violence and death and mental confusion vanished from a simple love she shared with her fellow marksman Laertia: A love of all things cute and furry. She didn't seem like a brooding mysterious bounty hunter at all as she approached a large lake where herds grazed nearby and multicolored birds soared overhead and ducks swam with ducklings in the water. Maple approached the edge of the lake, going slow so as not to startle any of them. She had needed this. This peace. She would have to get all of it she could, and then go back to war, but now...peace.

"So Veronika..." Maple said softly, watching the birds and wanting to dance, stopping herself from dancing--but only because she would have looked rediculous.

"We said things in that chamber..." she didn't know how else to start off the subject. How do you have a conversation about you both saying you loved the other...where did one even start that would not make it all awkward as hell? Ah well. Ball was in Veronika's court now...strange...all that she liked in Veronika were things that had attracted her to Darth Maranon...that sexy confidence, that devil may care attitude...but why was Veronika succeeding where Maranon failed? Maranon lacked a vital quality. Veronika, in Maple's opinion, had all the elements of a hero waiting to form...not that Maple would encourage it, as it had to be Veronika's choice. Maple would care for her regardless of the choice because Veronika had willingly stuck her neck out for Maple so many times already. It was also what made her crazy attracted to the blond.

Maranon was someone who had all the elements of a hero, and perhaps on some level even recognized it, but sadly believed the bad guy deserved to win more, because freedom was more important than acting decently. It was why she had rejected Maranon in the end. She REFUSED to believe evil deserves to win just because the person inflicting it had a joyless life as one of the "heroes".

"I said it just as willingly, you know..." Maple trailed off...

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Her mental amplitude easily picked up the intensity of the feelings accompanying the brunette's thoughts even though no words were spoken. [member="Maple Harte"] was frustrated and angry at the same time, including a lingering hint of confusion. Veronika kept silent from the mental outburst, deciding it was best not to continue brooding about the Amalgam. There was no point worrying about the unknown. For now, they had a vacation to catch and sights to enjoy.

She made a mental note about the Amalgam being a Shi'ido again, having forgotten about the shape shifting trait of their common enemy despite their encounter. The Shi'ido had appeared mostly in her human form so far, but she was more than capable of pulling off new tricks and disguises in the future. Veronika had no wish to fall prey over such deceptions. She took comfort that the tattoo on her wrist seemed to respond to the Amalgam's presence, thus serving as an alarm of sorts.

"A Zatark model. Hmmph..."

True enough, the name of the weapon was labelled neatly on the side of the barrel in capital letters when she peeked into her backpack. Veronika nodded her head, letting her lover educate her about the fine workings of weaponry. It was not her forte, so any information provided was very much appreciated.

The two of them left the ship and somehow found themselves in the outskirts of the city. Veronika made a wishful look at the rows of shops and malls that they passed by, making a mental note of their locations so that they could drop by next time. She had made a promise to Maple to spend some time outdoors and would stick to it. Promises were sometimes meant to be broken, but Maple was worth the trouble. The sun was partially hidden by the clouds while a gentle breeze picked up the air near the lake. There were herds of animals grazing around, occasionally taking a drink or two from the cool water.

"I must admit, this place is serene. I can see the appeal."

She stood not far away from Maple who had cheerfully walked over to admire the creatures. Emerald eyes studied the brunette from the side, noticing the gentle look on the face and the shining eyes of happiness. It was a different Maple, a more relaxed and cheerful version, one which Veronika certainly would not mind looking. The blonde found herself smiling at the sight in front of her, enjoying the moment of peace and the beauty who wanted this.

"Huh?"

The blonde snapped back to attention when Maple spoke about the encounter inside the chamber. There were lots of things which happened, but Veronika was sharp to catch on what the brunette was talking about. It was the mysterious fountain incident, the one with vile tasting water which they both drank from. The witch knew what she said before she drank. It was an impulsive moment where the mood felt right. She did feel that Maple was special and she thought that she might die after tasting the magical fountain.

But she did not.

Maple seemed hesitant to declare her feelings, her words implicit and subtle. Veronika lifted the dark glareshades onto her forehead, taking a few steps and stood in front of the brunette. She rubbed her eyebrow and cleared her throat.

"Ahem..."

She paused, taking a deep breath to feel the awkwardness between them. They had already spent nights together and enjoyed each other's company in naked bliss, but physical pleasure was distinct from love. A lot of women would mix them up together, but Veronika knew better. Shouting matches, arguments and fights were part of her past. Lovers sometimes seemed to blur together, especially when drunk.

"I said it because I thought I might die. I think you know that. But guess what? I am alive. So, thanks for saying it willingly."

She could suppress her emotions at times, putting on a mask to play the games. Other occasions were better dealt with by letting her powerful feelings take over. But Veronika knew that she could not do it at this moment in time, not when Maple was being honest.

"I care about you a lot more than others, darling. So to me, that's love."

Veronika leaned her face over, eyes closing while she pressed her lips against the brunette's. Emotions and mood dictated her to kiss softly. She was letting her guard down and showing her vulnerable side to her lover. The kiss continued, lingering longer than expected before she finally pulled back.

"So...back to sightseeing... I think."

The witch pulled down her shades, her cheeks slightly flustered but smiling.

 

[Maple Harte]

Passion. It seems it could make anything intense.

The kiss was a soft one, and Maple was not averse to how long it lasted either. [member="Veronika Fleischer"] could kiss. Maple didn't rate a kiss as others did. Each kiss was like signature. It told you something about the person. That said, Veronika, even if going by that metric, was a very good kisser.

It ended and Maple was suddenly drawn back to the frolicking animals and sunlight and blond hair. Maple smiled. "Same here, Veronika..." Maple replied warmly. Her heart beat bit faster and Maple went back along the trail, sightseeing and pointing out the various species of birds, especially the multicolored ones she dreamt about sometimes. Skip. Maple had always been a bird alien in disguise, leading an invasion from the future thousands of years in the making to destroy time. Skip. Back to normal. Back to Naboo.

Maple dreaded when her hated Shrodinger's Syndrome would start increasing in severity. It was bad enough thousands of years could play out in real time from her perspective, but the idea they would get more frequent then they actually were, and that eventually she would have to be committed made her all the more eager to try and get some happy memories to cling to before she sank forever into the depths of madness. Only hope that she might somehow escape her fate as she had all those hundreds of death traps kept her going, helped her get out of bed some days. Plus, having someone like Veronika in her corner made her want to cheat her fate.

Maple was give a bit of pause. She was so fortunate. So much more fortunate than her former sister in battle Laertia. She had friends who cared for her. Laertia had an advanced biot and rabbits. Laertia had never found the success Maple had. The companionship, that had been something she had had, but it had been ripped away when she could not let go. Maple was so fortunate, even in her fallen state. It made her stop and think. It made her remember life was worth it even with the doom that might await at the end. It made it all worth it, someone like Veronika.

Maple, after a quiet forty minute walk with her lover, letting the sun hit her and the streams glimmer in her eyes as thick clouds danced overhead, came to an isolated section of the plains on a high hill, where some decent sized boulders lay, and Maple grinned, began assembling her weapons. There was no wildlife, or another living soul around.

"Okay, let me show you how to field assemble a pistol. First check each part..." Maple meticulously detailed what each part was and where it went, slowly assembling and disassembling her own pistol so Veronika could follow it, three times in a row, just to be sure Veronika could memorize each step.

"You try it..." Maple encouraged, grinning.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"Same here, Veronika."

The three words repeated themselves in her mind as the two of them continued their sightseeing. The words were unimportant, but the tone behind the words carried the weight of emotions. [member="Maple Harte"] was turning into someone more important than expected. All the years of clubbing, dating and wild adventures did nothing to prepare her for a concept like love. Pleasure was enjoyable, fleeting and intense. Love was something unknown to the witch, but she decided to fill in the gap with sacrifice and commitment. At the very least, her lover seemed to be open minded about her wild side.

Birds flew across the sky and decorated the tree tops. The witch had no idea about their species, but Maple was a capable bird watcher who easily pointed out the names. Veronika merely nodded her head, secretly hoping that the sun would dial down its rays a little. She was breaking into a sweat halfway through the trekking and pulled off her wool jumper, tying it around her waist. Despite the perspiration, the overall experience was better than expected. She could see the appeal of getting some fresh air and greenery after being stuck in the cityscape.

"I am so beat."

Veronika gladly put down her backpack and planted her bum onto the nearest rock when they stopped at the clearing. Maple was more than eager to show her the weaponry, disassembling the blaster quickly within seconds. The witch took a long sip of water and studied the pieces of metal curiously, trying to figure out how to fit them back. It took her a second attempt before she got the hang of things and put back the blaster.

"Okay. Looks good."

She did a firing mechanism check and the trigger refused to squeeze off. She frowned, shaking the weapon and the barrel came right off.

"Oops. Can you repeat the demonstration again?"

Veronika shrugged her shoulders and looked at her partner for some help. The help came and it took her another minute to figure out the correct position for the barrel. Once that was done, Veronika smiled triumphantly and waved her hand in the air. A couple of pebbles rose from the ground and arranged themselves neatly on top of a boulder as makeshift targets. She turned her attention towards the brunette and lifted her shades, winking flirtatiously.

"You first, darling. For every hit, I'll give you a kiss. For every miss, you owe me a kiss."

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple smiled as [member="Veronika Fleischer"] almost got it right.

"Close. Very close. Its okay. I didn't get it right the first time either..." Maple said reassuringly. Skip. Veronika had been one of the squirrels that lived in her spine all along. Now Maple was a squirrel too. Veronika had bit her and her veins were now made of cotton candy. Skip. Maple demonstrated again and watched as Veronika finally clicked the barrel into the correct position and smiled as she arranged the stones and issued her challenge. That wink of hers made her go a bit weak in the knees.

Maple took the blaster, spun it, closed her eyes and snapped off eight shots. She hit four. She could have hit them all but she wanted to get to the kissing part.

"You first..." Maple flirted. It was as if all her other troubles and worries ceased with staring into the blond woman's eyes. The trees, the light, the birds, the blond woman with golden skin that she was seduced by. It was all so perfect. She blinked, taking a mental snap shot of it. It was something to hold on to. Something to fight the encroaching madness with...

All you touch you will die... the Brain Demon whispered quietly in her brain...

All who touch you will die...

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"Four. For a moment, I thought you would have hit them all."

Veronika laughed, knowing fully well that their lips would meet regardless of the outcome of the target practice. It was just a matter of who initiating it first. The brunette stood there, the dark pair of dark eyes that were as usual, mesmerising. It could just be a figment of Veronika's imagination when she saw something flickering among the dark orbs, but the strange presence was gone swiftly.

"I'll start then. One."

She drew away her shades and leaned in, letting her lips touch the familiar sensation of warmth briefly before pulling back.

"Two."

The second contact was longer, but still meek.

"Three."

The third was lingering now, coupled with a hint of taste of honey and chocolate. It was a makeshift spell, one which Veronika made up on the spot to toy with [member="Maple Harte"]. A simple kiss would be so boring. She made sure that her imaginary scent lingered on even as she pulled away, grinning cheekily.

"And..."

The last one was thrilling for Veronika as she let her consciousness bleed into Maple's when the tongues collided. Even with her eyes wide shut, she could see the dark hair beauty standing in front with her. Veronika waved her hand and surrounded the two of them with fluffy pink cotton candy and giggled. Her consciousness expanded further, building a brief link between the two souls. She giggled again, willing her mind to slip her imaginary hands down Maple's bare skin without the need to take off any clothing. She let her touch lingered on before finally pulling away.

"Four."

The blonde winked and pulled down her shades.

"I'll ask for yours later."

 

[Maple Harte]

At the first kiss from [member="Veronika Fleischer"] , Maple was hers all over again.

As the kisses continued, each having their own lively and lovely quality, Maple tasted honey and chocolate and Veronika on her lips, and then shivered a bit at the potent effects of the last one.

Maple felt like each kiss had lasted far longer then normal, or had she simply wanted them too.

Regardless, the mental contact...it wasn't the plain, barebones telepathy of other Adepts. Veronika's could draw you in, make you feel safe.

It was so strange...Maple had done what she had done as a shadow to protect others ultimately. Yet it was her that ended up needing to be protected, or feel protected, because it seemed not even Jart could fully stop the Brain Demon all the way. Delay her or it, perhaps, but it would be back for her eventually.

As the last kiss ended, Maple was drawn back into her body. In a celebretory manner she telekinetically lifted four stones and drew her pistol on all of them, opening fire.

The stones were vaporized.

"We call that skeet shooting..." Maple said. "You try it."

Maple floated a larger stone to her. She flung it upward, and kept shooting it to pieces as it fell.

"It might be a little advanced, but trust me, when you can anticipate an enemy's path, you'll be amazed by the problems a simple blaster can solve."

OOC: So sorry this took so long.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Emerald eyes caught sight of the stones flying through the air, followed by a quick burst of fire from [member="Maple Harte"]. Veronika lifted the shades that had barely covered her eyes up, blinking in astonishment at the rocks which had been cleanly vapourised. There was no trace of the Force used. She knew her lover was good with the trigger, but that was some fancy shooting skills which required lots of practice. She turned her attention towards the cool brunette who continued with her marksmanship, hitting the same piece of rock into a million little pieces in quick succession.

"Wow. That's real impressive, darling."

She smirked and rewarded Maple with a light peck on the lips.

"Skeet shooting, huh."

Veronika pulled away a spare blaster that was dangling on Maple's belt as she moved away, her attention focused on the challenge that had laid out. The metallic weapon felt heavier than usual in her grip. She might hit a stationary target with careful aim, but a moving target was a new kind of challenge.

"I probably can't do it without some practice... unless..."

The witch grinned and lifted a rock into the air, levitating it using the Force. She lifted the barrel, closed her right eye and squeezed off the trigger. The blaster shot missed the rock by an inch. She frowned, firing a second round and moved the rock when her shot went wide.

"Blam!"

The rock split into multiple pieces and Veronika took a deep breath, channeling the Force to magnify her vision. The tiny rocks in the air suddenly appeared gigantic and she flipped the firing mechanism to automatic. Multiple shots rang out, most of them hitting the tiny pieces and vapourising them.

"So, did I pass?"

Veronika wiped the sweat off her forehead and grinned mischievously at Maple.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple grinned as [member="Veronika Fleischer"] shot the stone to pieces. It wasn't perfect but Veronika took to the blaster with a quick wit. It would make the difference between when and knowing how to shoot and when and knowing how to shoot well

Maple enjoyed playing teacher in the relaxed environment, and especially enjoyed teaching a sexy blond woman how to shoot. It would all hopefully end in kisses. Skip. Surprise! Veronika was one of the super insects! Skip. Darth Vader was a devious dance battler. The most devious in the galaxy! No wonder he had nearly destroyed the Jedi! Skip. Back to reality. Back to Veronika and her forest irises, which bewitched her own crazy greens. Maple had long since lost track of who had first bewitched who. She didn't even remember the first time they had met correctly, due to her schizophrenia inserting a number of ludicrous side incidents, including them both having to answer the questions of a troll under a bridge (Maple had shot the troll after answering it in this delusion of hers. He had turned into bon bons that smelled of cabbage. She would not dare eat one.)

A peck from Veronika pulled Maple back to the grove. Her mind played back Veronika landing the shot, rewinding, fast forwarding, pausing, and then skipping back to the present.

(Psyche meter raised!)

"You passed." Maple said breathlessly. But even then, in the deepest corner of her mind, she heard the hiss of the Brain Demon. She ignored it.

She drew close to Veronika, arm gently caressing her shoulder. It was moments like this she resented not having grown up normal, so she could have enjoyed a moment like this without having such blood on her hands. (Out, damned spot: 50 XP.)

"Well, that's enough shooting for now. We'll cover rifles at some point, but the true masters of Gun-Fu learn by surviving. You'll be doing action film fight scenes in no time. Lets go grab a submarine? Or are you hungry, because for some reason all the kissing made my stomach grumble..." Maple suggested. But was it hunger for food?

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

She lowered her blaster, smiling at [member="Maple Harte"] who had stepped in. The witch pushed the weapon back into the bounty hunter's holster slowly, her fingers lingering between Maple's belt and waist. Was that a hiss of the Brain Demon? Perhaps so, a faint dark taint that seemed to take offense of being ignored. The demon deserved it anyway, after haunting them through the crazy underground adventure. She let her fingers glide upwards from the waist, resting her hand around Maple's neck and gazed at her lover.

"A break sounds like a good idea."

The witch smiled and lowered her shades for a moment, before deciding that Maple deserved a cool pair. Considering the number of pairs she could pull out from her own label, it was an easy decision to give hers away on the spot. She pulled off her dark brown shades, one of her favourite pairs and placed them neatly on Maple's face. The white gold and titanium alloy frame suited the brunette's skin tone and fitted the biker chick style.

"Mmmph stylish. Now that's what I'm talking about."

She smiled, almost wanted to lean in for another kiss but decided it could wait. Her stomach was a little rumbling as well by now from the trekking and shooting.

"Submarine's fine... "

The witch pulled away and grabbed her backpack, pulling out her packed provisions. Two sandwiches wrapped in paper, a bottle of water and her beloved whiskey. Lunch, it seemed, could be outdoors if Maple chose. Of course, they could always head back to the city for a better meal.

"Homemade lunch or back to city? Your call."

 

[Maple Harte]

Oh, this blonde! Every touch sent Maple giddy, everything from the way she looked at you to how long the touching itself lasted.

Maple went speechless a little after [member="Veronika Fleischer"] gave Maple her glasses.

It was such a simple thing. For anyone else, it would have been a nice surprise, but because this was Maple, it was much more.

Maple never got normal gifts. Usually it was weapons or new equipment that counted as such. But it was never anything ordinary. Never anything simple.

Veronika didn't understand what she had done, in giving Maple something normal, something that did not help her kill better. She had imparted normalcy, in that sense of it. The desire to be normal haunted Maple to some level, enough to occasionally bother her. That her madness would rip even Veronika away from her eventually was something that kept her awake at night. There had to be an escape! A solution! Something! Anything!

Maple felt the glasses, felt the frames with the tips of her fingers. This gift was special, more special than any gun she had ever gotten.

Maple's stomach rumbled and she left the glasses on, getting out a sandwich. Maple's was a sandwich composed of thin steak slices with salt and pepper. Perfect protein food for the killer on the go. She had forgotten what she had packed Veronika after that kiss...

She handed her a water bottle and took a bite, letting the killer's tension in her muscles ease as she stared at all the pretty birds and trees, but most especially Veronika. Veronika, who was so different from her...

...yet who she meshed with so well.

It had been a very long time since Maple felt this intensely. She touched the frame of her glasses as she ate, idly feeling their contours. She could tell they were expensive. Not expensive like a Dashade Sonic Disruptor, unregistered, on the Black Market (Which she frequented and would have to introduce Veronika to some day) but close.

"I used to train in places like this, before I was a Jedi Shadow..." she remarked looking around. Then one day, I saw Ursula looking at me from the shade of a tree just like that big one right over to my right...and that was that. Didn't look back. But I can honestly appreciate all this green now that I don't have to worry about some code...The Naboo were wise to keep their world green..."

Skip. Alderaan burned. Naboo burned. The Amalgam smiled at the center of the slaughter and a thousand years passed before Maple was ready to fight her. Skip. Back to normal. Back to the cute blonde whose witchyness was catnip and whose vouce was like the slide of velvet across skin, soft and complex...

Maple had never enjoyed herself so much before.