Private Soul Harvest

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Orbit of Ankhanos - Thanaton System
Objective: Retrieve Souls
Tag: Serina Calis

Ellissanthia gave a sharp breath as the dancing hues of hyperspace gave way to the dark, celestial void of realspace. The shuttle gave a slight shudder in the process, mimicking the wash of disquiet that swept over the Undine as Ankhanos manifested itself at the center of the viewport. There before her, was the world where the most tortured and disturbed souls within the galaxy dwelled. At least, that was what the texts Ellissanthia had combed through in the archives at the Temple of the Eclipse Adepts had promised.

Such frenzied, maddened souls could be easily harvested and exploited to a given end. Though, as with any promise, there were conditions, demands, and challenges that needed to be overcome.

In this case, the challenge was the twisted nature of Ankhanos itself.

Nevertheless, Serina had told her that she needed souls. Souls that were strong in the Force, yet could be readily exploited. To what end, Ellissanthia had not bothered to ask. Instead, the Undine had immediately committed herself to research, searching for a place where such souls could be obtained. After days of scouring through the archives, she had narrowed it down to a few places, with Ankhanos being the most promising out of all of them.

And also, the most dangerous.

“Lady Calis, umm...we have arrived.” Ellissanthia called out softly as she stepped out of the cockpit and into the passenger bay. The shuttle and its pilot droid did not belong to Ellissanthia, the craft having been temporarily entrusted to her from the Eclipse Sect’s stocks so that she could fulfill a mission for an unknown Sith Lord who had specifically requested her services.

Of course, that had been a lie, which Ellissanthia had told so that she could get access to the shuttle. It had been an overt act of deception, the implications which the Undine had yet to reckon with.

And yet, the consequences that would ensue in the event that the Sect uncovered her true purpose in requesting the shuttle lingered sharply at the back of her mind.

“Ankhanos..." Ellissanthia paused, her gaze lingering on Serina. “It is in the viewport, if you would like to see it before we land.” She added, lashes fluttering anxiously.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Aesthetic and Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Standard Lightsaber
  
  • Purple Blade
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Spirit Anchor Talisman

 

[Serina Calis]

Tag: Ellissanthia ​

The dim glow of hyperspace receded, giving way to the unyielding darkness of realspace, a canvas of obsidian void punctuated only by the cold gleam of distant stars. And there, in the center of the viewport, loomed Ankhanos—a world where the Light had not purified, but perverted.

Serina remained still, seated within the passenger bay, draped in layers of darkened elegance. Her fingers, gloved in supple leather, idly traced the rim of a black chalice that she had been nursing for the duration of their journey. A deep, ruby-red wine swirled within, catching the faint glow of the shuttle's interior lights like congealed blood. She had been quiet, contemplative even, allowing Ellissanthia to work, to prove herself. The Undine had combed the archives, had sought out something that pleased her, that enticed her. And now, here they were.

Ellissanthia's soft, tentative voice broke the silence.

"Lady Calis, umm...we have arrived."

Serina did not acknowledge the statement at first. She merely brought the chalice to her lips, drinking deeply, savoring the warmth that burned its way down her throat. Only when she was finished did she set the cup aside, licking a stray droplet from the corner of her mouth with unhurried languor.

Then, slowly, she lifted herself from her throne-like seat, her movements purposeful, luxurious. Her presence filled the small chamber without effort, an imperceptible weight pressing against the atmosphere, dark and suffocatingly intimate. Her deep hood framed her face, casting half of it into shadow, while golden strands of hair spilled forth, illuminated by the cold light of the shuttle.

Without a word, she moved past Ellissanthia, her scent lingering in the air—a rich blend of exotic spices, embers, and something far more decadent. The Undine followed, her steps anxious, expectant.

Serina stopped before the viewport, placing a single delicate hand upon the transparisteel, tilting her head as she gazed upon the world before them. Ankhanos.

For a long moment, she simply looked.

Then, she laughed.

A soft, sultry chuckle at first—breathy, indulgent, as if a secret pleasure had just been whispered into her ear. But the sound deepened, rich and velvety, growing into something truly wicked.

"Oh, Ellissanthia..." she purred, drawing the Undine's name out like a lover's caress. "You have pleased me."

A hand reached out, long fingers gently tilting the Undine's chin up so that she was forced to meet her gaze.

"This," Serina whispered, her voice carrying the weight of a terrible, honeyed promise, "is a gift you have given me."

Her grip lingered for just a moment too long before she withdrew, her attention once more returning to the planet before them.

She exhaled, taking in the blackened sands, the jagged mountains like the ribs of a great beast long since forgotten.

"Ankhanos..." she murmured, almost reverently.

Her voice was different now—lower, hushed, as though speaking the name of a god.

She knew of this place.

The texts had spoken of it. The whispers of the Force had called her to it.

This was no world of purity. This was no world of salvation.

This was a world of lies.

A world where the Light had twisted itself into something that the Jedi would never dare to acknowledge. A world where the Force was wielded by those who claimed to be righteous, but had instead become something far worse.

She shivered at the thought, her breath hitching in barely contained pleasure.

"It is in the viewport, if you would like to see it before we land," Ellissanthia added, her voice tinged with nervous anticipation.

Serina turned, her blue eyes gleaming like shattered ice in the dim light.

"I see it." She stepped closer, her presence enveloping Ellissanthia in something both intoxicating and terrifying. "And I feel it."

She exhaled, letting the Dark Side roll over her in waves, reveling in the corruption of this place—the delicious, tainted perversion of everything the Jedi stood for.

Her lips parted, a breathless whisper escaping.

"Beautiful."

She finally turned away, brushing past Ellissanthia, making her way toward the ramp of the shuttle.

"Come, my dear," she beckoned, her voice filled with promise, with danger. "Let us collect what we came for."

And with that, Serina descended into the shadows of Ankhanos, a queen stepping into her dominion.

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Orbit of Ankhanos -> Outside Necropolis of Dynamis - Ankhanos
Objective: Retrieve Souls
Tag: Serina Calis

Following Serina back to the cockpit, Ellissanthia’s nose twitched with sensation as the woman’s scent momentarily struck her senses. However, the Undine found her focus drawn elsewhere, as both of their attentions were seized by the multi-colored sphere that was Ankhanos. From thousands of miles away, the planet was magnificent, its surface a kaleidoscope of orange, blue, green, and brown hues.

And yet, Ellissanthia found herself holding back a frown.

How much better it would have been to find a world like Ankhanos, but more pure in the Dark Side! In that regard, Ankhanos radiated a sense of eerie wrongness. It was not the catharsis of Dark Side corruption, but rather, a hideous Light that was perverted and twisted, while retaining a notable spark of its grotesquely luminescent nature.

It was only then that Serina’s sultry chuckle severed the silence, soon escalating into wicked, full-throated laughter that coaxed a nervous smile from the Undine’s lips. Ellissanthia’s sharply arched eyebrows rose in response, and her alabaster-painted lips curled into that same nervous smile.

At that point, Ellissanthia found her gaze gently drawn upward, the scent of the wine on Serina’s breath causing her cheeks to flush a crimson tint. She watched as the woman exhaled, and immediately realized that she was not disquieted by the planet as Ellissanthia was.

Nevertheless, giving a deep, relieved breath as the woman turned away, Ellissanthia watched as Ankhanos grew larger within the viewport, before lighting up with the heat of atmospheric translation. Then, leaving the pilot droid to its work, the Undine made preparations for landing, collecting her lightsaber, energy shield, vials, and other equipment before placing them on her person.

A few minutes later, the shuttle gave a sharp lurch as it touched down upon the surface, only a couple miles outside the Necropolis of Dynamis.

“The Temple of Seers might be our objective.” Ellissanthia spoke up. “But...I was unable to find its location during my research. I am hoping that we might discover it here.” The Undine frowned. “I admit, I did not think that you would be happy with this planet. Its nature is not only confusing, but also...disquieting to me.” She continued. “You’ve spoken of corruption as an end in and of itself. However, this to me is something inexplicably different. How do you find beauty in it?” She questioned.

All the while, the shuttle ramp opened, revealing a rocky desert in the immediate area. The Necropolis loomed large in the distance, its many obelisks, tombs, and structures towering over the surrounding landscape.

“This can not be the Dark Side. Or at least, it is not the Dark Side as I understand it.”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Aesthetic and Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Standard Lightsaber
  
  • Purple Blade
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Spirit Anchor Talisman

 

[Serina Calis]

Tag: Ellissanthia ​

The shuttle hissed as the ramp descended, its metallic groan swallowed by the dry, howling winds of Ankhanos. The scent of scorched sand and ancient stone filled the air, thick with the weight of time itself. The land stretched before them in jagged obsidian ridges, great tombs clawing toward the sky like skeletal fingers, reaching for something long forgotten.

Serina remained at the threshold, her form framed by the dying light of the shuttle's interior. She did not step forward immediately. Instead, she inhaled—deeply, languidly—as if she were drinking the very essence of the world into herself.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and for a brief, exquisite moment, she savored the wrongness of it.

"This can not be the Dark Side. Or at least, it is not the Dark Side as I understand it."

Serina let out a slow, indulgent exhale, as if the statement itself were something to be relished.

Then, she laughed—a velvety, knowing sound that slithered through the air like silk over bare skin.

"Oh, Ellissanthia…" she murmured, tilting her head to glance at the Undine, her expression laced with amusement and something deeper, darker. "Your understanding is precious to me, but it is—" she placed a gloved fingertip under the Undine's chin, tilting her head just so, "—incomplete."

She stepped forward, finally descending onto the surface of the planet with a slow, measured grace. The black sand shifted beneath her boots, whispering as it welcomed her into its embrace.

Serina turned to face Ellissanthia fully now, the wind tugging at the edges of her cloak, causing its angular cut to ripple in ghostly waves.

"You see this place and recoil," she said, her voice honeyed but firm, a subtle rebuke hidden beneath layers of affection. "You call it wrong. Disquieting. Not pure."

She gestured with a slow, fluid sweep of her hand toward the Necropolis of Dynamis, its pale spires and foreboding monoliths standing defiant against the dying sun.

"You look upon it as a child looks upon a shattered mirror, frightened that the reflection is not whole," Serina continued, voice dipping into something lower, richer, more intimate.

"But you fail to understand that the truest beauty lies not in what is whole—but in what is breaking."

She took a step closer to Ellissanthia, her presence a weight, a pull, a slow, inevitable gravity that drew the Undine further into her orbit.

"This is not the Light. Nor is it the Dark. It is…" she sighed, her lips parting in something bordering on pleasure, "…a world in transition."

Her gloved fingers danced through the air, tracing invisible lines of fate, of corruption yet to be fully realized.

"The true Light," Serina continued, almost wistfully, "is unyielding, unyielded. It will not bend. It will not break. It refuses change."

A single, cold laugh escaped her lips, her smile dripping with mockery.

"How boring."

Then, she extended a hand toward the vast expanse before them, fingers splayed as if reaching for the pulse of the world itself.

"But this…" she whispered, voice trembling with delight, "is something new."

Her eyes gleamed, dark and knowing.

"This is the Light that has begun to understand its own futility. A Light that has been touched, twisted, tempted—and is now struggling against itself."

Serina sighed, the sound almost lewd in its indulgence.

"And oh, my dear Ellissanthia… what is more exquisite than that?"

She turned fully to face the Undine, tilting her head with a slow, considering smile.

"You claim you desire corruption. But tell me, truly—which is more satisfying?"

"To simply consume what is already tainted? Or…" she stepped closer, lowering her voice to a sultry whisper, "to take something that still clings to its so-called purity… and slowly, painstakingly… pull it apart?"

Her fingers ghosted over Ellissanthia's cheek, feather-light, lingering for just a moment before withdrawing.

Serina turned away then, beginning her slow, deliberate walk toward the Necropolis.

"This place can be worked with," she called over her shoulder, her tone carrying the weight of something decisive, final. "And that makes it far more delicious than anything the Dark Side has ever laid claim to before."

She stopped, just at the edge of the crumbling pathway leading into the graveyard of heretics.

"So tell me, Ellissanthia."

She turned back, gaze like frozen fire, lips curved in a wicked smile.

"Shall we begin?"

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Necropolis of Dynamis - Ankhanos
Objective: Retrieve Souls
Tag: Serina Calis

"This is not the Light. Nor is it the Dark. It is…" she sighed, her lips parting in something bordering on pleasure, "…a world in transition."

A worm transitioning into a moth. A tadpole growing into a frog. A boy, becoming a man. A girl, a woman. Ellissanthia listened to Serina in obedient silence, her gaze affixed upon the woman’s sharp, comely features as her finger teased lightly over the Undine’s cheek, causing her lashes to flutter as the touch faded away.

"This place can be worked with," she called over her shoulder, her tone carrying the weight of something decisive, final. "And that makes it far more delicious than anything the Dark Side has ever laid claim to before."

She stopped, just at the edge of the crumbling pathway leading into the graveyard of heretics.

"So tell me, Ellissanthia."

She turned back, gaze like frozen fire, lips curved in a wicked smile.

"Shall we begin?"

Ellissanthia nodded, her breath heavy with trepidation as Serina beckoned her forward with an all too familiar smile. The grin of a predator salivating over its prey. And yet, the Undine pushed on, drawn towards the woman like a kitten trailing after a caretaker who promised it nourishment.

For it was only through Serina that Ellissanthia had discovered the Dark Side within.

“We cannot afford to waste time.” Ellissanthia resolved. And with that, the Undine allowed Serina to lead the way down the crumbling path. All the while, a sharp, mechanical hiss sounded out from behind as the shuttle ramp closed. The Undine knew that she would have to find a way to wipe or edit the shuttle’s computers to prevent her unauthorized use of the vessel from being discovered. However, that was a matter for later.

Before long, the crumbling path led to a street which took the pair deeper into the abandoned city. An intersection took them to the main thoroughfare—a wide road lined with statues to either side, each carved from rock that pulsed with light ever so faintly as they passed.

Ellissanthia turned around then, a sharp gasp rising from her throat as she locked her gaze on a statue of a female Light Sith, its head adorned with what the Undine initially thought to be a headdress. She thought she saw its eyes following them, as if the Necropolis itself was aware of their corrupting presence.

A presence that it might seek to violently expel.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Aesthetic and Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Standard Lightsaber
  
  • Purple Blade
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Spirit Anchor Talisman

 

[Serina Calis]

Tag: Ellissanthia ​

Serina slowed her pace as she sensed the shift in Ellissanthia's breathing, the sharp gasp of realization slipping from the Undine's lips. Without breaking stride, Serina's gloved fingers lifted to rest lightly against the hilt of Ebon Requiem, the curved phrik blade humming faintly in its sheath, as if sensing the weight of unseen eyes.

She did not look at the statue immediately.

Instead, she let the moment stretch, reveling in the unease that rolled off Ellissanthia like mist rising from a black sea.

Then, with a slow, calculated turn of her head, Serina regarded the effigy.

The pale, luminous stone pulsed faintly, like a frozen heartbeat encased in rock. The face—proud, noble, serene—stood in stark contrast to the sharp, imposing ridges of the headdress that crowned its head like a warlord's laurels. And the eyes…

Ah, the eyes…

Serina knew them.

She had seen their kind before, in ancient holocrons—in the shattered fragments of visions that clawed at the edges of the Dark Side's abyss. Eyes that saw not just the present, but the echo of what had come before, and the specter of what was yet to be.

This place was alive.

No, not alive—aware.

Serina's lips curled into a slow, secretive smirk. Her fingers traced the etchings along Ebon Requiem's hilt, indulging in the sensation of power at her fingertips.

"Do you feel it?" she murmured, tilting her head ever so slightly toward Ellissanthia, though her gaze remained locked upon the stone sentinel. "The weight of watching things? The resentment of a place that has been untouched for too long… that has been forsaken by the cause it once served?"

She took a step forward.

Then another.

The hem of her cloak brushed against the cracked stone beneath her, the sound swallowed by the dead air of the Necropolis. The tension that lingered in the air—thick, oppressive, seething—was intoxicating. It was the sensation of a world that had tried to resist the inevitable, and failed.

A transition, still unfinished.

"You shudder at this city because it looks at you with accusation," Serina continued, voice low and indulgent, her smile widening as she took another step closer to the statue. "It calls you impure. An intruder. A heretic."

She reached out a hand, trailing her fingers over the smooth, cold stone of the Light Sith's robes. Her touch lingered there, tracing the ancient grooves of history that had yet to fade.

"And yet…" she breathed, amusement laced with venom, "it has already lost."

Her fingers curled slightly, nails scraping ever so lightly against the surface.

"All that remains is to show it. To prove to this husk of a city that its time is over."

Serina turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting Ellissanthia's with something akin to challenge.

"Tell me, my dear," she mused, voice dripping with slow, delicious malice. "What do you fear more—that it sees you? Or that it might judge you unworthy to touch what lies ahead?"

She let the silence settle for a breath, for two, for three.

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Necropolis of Dynamis - Ankhanos
Objective: Retrieve Souls
Tag: Serina Calis

“It depicts a Halaisi.” Ellissanthia said as she watched Serina slowly turn towards the effigy, the woman’s deep, predatory gaze regarding it with equal parts poise and cunning. And yet, upon seeing her smirk, the Undine’s heart began to race, her ensuing remark striking her senses with the chill of trepidation.

"Do you feel it?" she murmured, tilting her head ever so slightly toward Ellissanthia, though her gaze remained locked upon the stone sentinel. "The weight of watching things? The resentment of a place that has been untouched for too long… that has been forsaken by the cause it once served?"

“Are you saying that it...envies us?” Ellissanthia spoke up after a pause, before casting a brief, cautious glance towards the statue’s eyes.

And for a flash of a second, it stared back.

"You shudder at this city because it looks at you with accusation," Serina continued, voice low and indulgent, her smile widening as she took another step closer to the statue. "It calls you impure. An intruder. A heretic."

“I know that I am impure. It is a truth that I have long accepted.” Ellissanthia replied. “And though you have informed me of the true nature of this place, I fear its definition of purity.” She continued. “I sense that it seeks to remain in this...transitory state indefinitely. Neither grotesque Light nor precious Dark, but...something foul and unholy.” The Undine hissed, her tone suddenly manifesting an element of anger.

Serina turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting Ellissanthia's with something akin to challenge.

"Tell me, my dear," she mused, voice dripping with slow, delicious malice. "What do you fear more—that it sees you? Or that it might judge you unworthy to touch what lies ahead?"

Ellissanthia felt her heart skip a beat as Serina shot her a challenging gaze, her features twitching in a grimace. For a moment, the Undine sensed that she was being watched not by one, two, but three distinct presences all at once, each with their own set of eyes and intentions. She turned around then, her gaze sweeping across the effigies lining the street, but the other statues in the area remained seemingly inert.

And yet, she was sure that another one of the statues had been looking at her while her attention was focused elsewhere.

“I fear...its sight.” Ellisanthia gulped, turning back around to face Serina. “And its judgement, as well.” She admitted after a pause. “Our collective powers may not be enough to purify this city.” The Undine continued.

“What will we do if—when—it rejects us?”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Aesthetic and Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Standard Lightsaber
  
  • Purple Blade
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Spirit Anchor Talisman

 

[Serina Calis]

Tag: Ellissanthia ​

Serina's laughter came slow, deliberate, like the first crack in a frozen lake. It was not the full-bodied amusement she had indulged in before, but something more intimate—more dangerous. She let the silence settle first, reveling in the weight of Ellissanthia's words, in the fear laced within them, before she finally spoke.

"Reject us?"

Her voice coiled around the phrase, as if tasting it, indulging in the absurdity of the notion. She took a single step closer to the Undine, closing the small space between them with the same languid confidence as a serpent circling its prey.

"This city is dead, little one." Her breath was warm against the air, a striking contrast to the chill that clung to the Necropolis like a shroud. "It does not reject. It clings. To its history. To its failure. To its pathetic, impotent refusal to surrender to something greater than itself."

Her fingers lifted, tracing the soft curve of Ellissanthia's cheek, her touch featherlight, coaxing rather than commanding. But there was an edge to it, something possessive, something that knew it was already weaving the Undine further into her web.

"It has had its chance," Serina murmured. "And it squandered it."

She turned her head slightly, her gaze drifting back toward the statue. It remained unmoving, silent, its expression unreadable. But Serina knew.

It saw them.

It saw her.

And it hated.

That was delicious.

"You misunderstand what is happening here." Serina finally continued, her voice shifting, taking on a slow, almost luxurious cadence, as if explaining something simple, yet profound. "This city does not wish to remain in transition. It wishes to be rescued from it."

Her lips curled into a smile, something indulgent, something hungry.

"And we are its salvation."

Another step.

The crumbling path beneath them felt heavier now, the weight of unseen judgment pressing down against their very presence. She knew that Ellissanthia felt it too—the way the air seemed to hum, the way the unseen, unfathomable wills of those long-dead pressed against their very souls, measuring them, testing them.

"Let it see you," Serina whispered, her fingers trailing from Ellissanthia's cheek to her chin, tilting it ever so slightly upward. "Let it judge you."

Her smile widened, and for a moment, the light in her eyes flickered with something beyond amusement—something deeper, darker, something that had known judgment and had laughed in its face.

"And then, little one…" she exhaled, her voice dipping into something dangerously sultry, "make it beg for your mercy."

With a sudden flick of her wrist, Serina turned, lifting Ebon Requiem in a single fluid motion. The phrik blade hummed through the air, carving a slow, deliberate arc through the silence. It did not strike—not yet.

Instead, she let the motion linger, the threat of destruction hanging in the air like the whisper of a lover's breath against exposed skin.

"Look at them."

She gestured to the statues lining the street, their stony faces fixed in the silent reverence of the past. "Tell me, Ellissanthia… is this the legacy they sought?"

She took a step forward, her back now to the Undine, her gaze scanning the empty city before them, the path stretching forward like an invitation.

"If this place rejects us," Serina murmured, her voice now lilting with the promise of something forbidden, "then we shall force it to change."

She turned her head slightly, just enough so that her wicked, knowing smirk could be seen from the corner of Ellissanthia's vision.

"But if it accepts us?" Her tone dipped, voice thick with indulgence.

"Then we shall consume it."

And with that, she strode forward into the depths of the Necropolis, the weight of unseen eyes watching, waiting, seething.

Daring them to try.