The Blind Follow the Blind

[Caelag Vass]

Rumours were a curious thing, traveling the galaxy faster than light since the dawn of the holonet... word of mouth had its way of surviving even in the modern day. Even from one planet, across the galaxy, to the heart of the Iron Empire, to the ears of a Miraluka seeking a particular bit of knowledge. And the Force, Fate, whatever you chose to call it, had a curious ability to match point for point to draw what it willed out from people. For instance, Caelag Vass, the Miraluka, sought a particular set of skills, and a curious rumour reached her ears of one who might be a perfect match.

Who better to teach the blind, than the blind?

Such were her thoughts, as she packed a set of rations, and bid her soldiers a temporary farewell as she set her sights on this rumoured seer who controlled the elements with ease. Normally, the woman would take with her everything, weapons, armor, and the rations, yet she felt it best to take only her six durasteel knives in her armor and her lightsaber along with, feeling oddly as though it would be more appropriate. It certainly was easier to pack.

She sighed as she stepped off the shuttle to Nar Shadda, the most unoriginal destination she could have hoped for. It made sense though, any company would recognize the smuggler's moon was a hotspot of activity, and it helped to spread rumours faster than average. It still was hardly a place she hoped to visit, rich in the life of people, in their despair and fear. She must stick out, a woman wearing a metal crown that covered her eyes, and wore blackened leather and phrik with a rapier hilt at her side. Hopefully the Seer would find it worth investigating herself.

But, Caelag wasn't risking that she would fail to be heard of, and began her search herself.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Somewhere, in the Refugee Sector of Nar Shaddaa, a moderately cliched scene was taking place. Fortunately, there was no old windbag there to queen about charity and helping the downtrodden being bad - and to complain about not helping them being bad, too.


A Trandoshan, a Rodian and a female human seemed quite upset with an elderly Twi'lek. Indeed, the Trandoshan held their victim savagely by the lekku. That had to hurt. The scaly, green coloured lizardman held a large blaster pistol. His eyes glistened with irritation and venom.


"We warn you, wormhead, but you not listen," he spat in broken Basic as he tightened his grip on the Twi'lek. His reptilian eyes fell upon the intruder, a blind redhead dressed like a spacer. "Another human. What you look at? he snarled angrily.


Desperation rolled off their victim in waves. "Please, help me! They'll gut me!" the Twi'lek pleaded. His face was full of fear.


"Go mind your own business, human," the Rodian ordered, gesturing dramatically with his gun.


"Unless you want to end up on the slave markets. Pretty thing like you would be a fine addition," the female thug added, sizing up the interloper.


The redhead could sense the old man's desperation, and stepped forward. Her vacant, milky-white eyes stared hard at the Trandoshan, showing her desire to stand her ground. "All I see is a bunch of cowards. You don't need to die. You want to leave that man alone and go home."


"I...want to leave that man alone and...go home," the Rodian spoke robotically. The gun fell out of his hands and he ran away, as if someone had just put the fear of the goddess into him and the hounds of heel were in pursuit.


"I...no...I spill your blood, human," the lizardman snarled, as he let go of his victim and raised his gun. The redhead could see the muzzle of his weapon rising, but she did not waver. Indeed, the expression on her face conveyed disappointment.


"If that's what you want," a blaster bolt shot towards her, but she had already vacated the spot, as if anticipating the shot in advance, and so it hit only thin air. Suddenly an unnatural heat surged through his gun's power pack, and the thug cried out in pain when it blew up, grievously burning his scaly hand in the process.


Perhaps realising their opponent was a Force-user, the female thug ran to the side, keeping mobile as she sent a volley of bolts streaking towards their attacker. One flew right towards the redhead's head, but was caught by the open palm of her hand.


The redhead grimaced, as if in pain. Concentration was etched over her features, but rather than get her hand blown off, she closed it, making a fist. When she opened it, there was a bright glow, then a ball of fire leapt towards the thug, causing her to burst into flames. The redhead winced as she heard the screams, while her opponent was roasted by the flames.


Snarling like an animal, the Trandoshan drew a vibrosword with his one good hand and charged at her while she was distracted. As if sensing his intent, the redhead ducked, causing his blade to only score a small cut across her shoulder rather than land a fatal blow. A pistol leapt into her hand. His blade was pushed aside as if by an invisible force, she gave him a hard kick and shot him in the stomach.

 

[Caelag Vass]

Caelag hoped the seer she had come to find wasn't trying to hide. If she was, she was doing a terrible job... that or she really was a good tracker. News of the violence in the refugee sector was quick to spread, as it was wont to do with refugee eyes everywhere. She quickly found a refugee, and convinced them to give her directions. It was surprising what five credits could get you from a refugee. Adjusting her pack of rations so it would stay with her, she took her saber hilt in her left hand and began a sprint towards the refugee sector.

However, by the time she arrived it seemed there was not much for the brunette to do... most everything was handled. One thug, a human female if she had to guess, was cloaked in fire.. even blind she could tell the heat radiating off her was from the kiss of flames, and the unmistakable presence of the transdoshian was currently getting his scale covered rear end handed to him. The smell of blaster bolts singing skin was quite present, she could tell she wasn't particularly needed.

Even so, she knew the hardiness of transdoshians, a single bolt wasn't going to down them. So, she calmly stepped past [member="Elpsis Elaris"], Quite hoping she'd not take such as hostile, and thumbed the ignition of her weapon. The snow white blade sprung to life, hissing as it cut through the air. Unused to using the weapon, she made a cut at the lizard's stomach, intending to cut him down quickly or force him to run. Either suited her fine, her business was with Elaris behind her. She just had to make sure they wouldn't be interrupted.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]

Poor Trandoshan. His life kind of sucked. We shall call him...Fred. Honestly, Fred was not a bad guy. He'd fallen through the cracks, as another victim of Nar Shaddaa's unjust social system and lack of economic opportunities. Or maybe he was really just a cruel thug. Either way, he'd gotten his hand burnt, been shot and stabbed. Ouch.


So he went down after the newcomer stabbed him with her glowstick. The elderly Twi'lek looked both awed and more than a little frightened when he beheld the two blind ladies. "You...you killed them?!"


"Uh, yeah. You're welcome," Elpsis responded, taken a bit aback by the unexpected help and the man's reaction. The vibes she felt didn't seem like he felt grateful.


"Are you nuts? I'm so screwed."


"Dude, they were going to kill you."


"Yes...but couldn't you have solved things...differently? Preferrably with less violence. Now I owe the Cartel even more money. Especially if they think I'm pals with Jedi," the man yelled.


"Dude, chill. Firstly, I'm no Jedi. Secondly, how much do you owe them?"


"More than some spacer with a gun can afford. I'm getting the hell out of here." Elpsis wondered whether she should point out that her Auntie was rich, or simply tell him to leave the moon, but he'd already run away.


The young redhead huffed. Sometimes being a broadly Good aligned character was quite a chore. However, experience had shown her that turning evil was a poor life choice. "Everyone's a critic these days. Least some annoying old hag didn't show up to babble about helping people being bad," take that Kreia. She turned her attention to her unexpected helper. "Uh, hiya. Who are you?" she felt the Force radiate from her.

 

[Caelag Vass]

Caelag was in much the same boat, sighing as she turned her weapon off, and clipped it to her belt once more. She'd never heard of someone being ungrateful to be alive like that before, had he hoped to die instead? It hardly mattered now, the twi'lek was long gone, leaving the two blind women alone with a pair of corpses. She knelt down by the transdoshian, feeling his neck for a pulse just to be certain, while the woman asked her a question.

"Caelag Vass. Just a little blind woman making her way in the galaxy." A way that included a lightsaber and phrik armor, but a way. She twisted the transdoshian's neck, snapping it, before moving to the human woman. She did the same to the burnt remains, before setting their heads in more natural positions for appearances. There, they were certainly dead now, and looked just fine. Job well done she'd say, bit loud for her taste but done.

"I don't suppose you could help me? I'm looking for a woman, blind. A seer that controls flame. About your height I would assume." Of course there was little doubt she knew already that [member="Elpsis Elaris"] was the woman she was looking for. She'd felt the charred remains of one of the thugs, she'd have to have lost her sense of touch to not notice.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


If the two thugs had not been dead before, they were definitely very dead now. Elpsis spared their corpses a glance. "May you find peace...and not be scumbags in your next cycle," she said quietly, making a sign with her fingers that was probably her equivalent of making the sign of the cross on a planet in a galaxy far, far away.


Her milky-white eyes focused on the other woman when she spoke up. Apparently she was blind as well! What a coincidence. Elpsis was not the type to believe in those. Everything happened for a reason. Even if sometimes you could not see it. She knitted her brow together. Are you trolling me, White Wolf, she wondered. Her deity had a strange sense of humour.


"Oh. Well, I guess you found a blind seer who controls flames. Dunno if she's the one you want to chit-chat with. Why are you looking for one? You don't want someone to read your future, right? Because anyone who says they see it just by stroking your hand is full of chit," she said. "Name's Elpsis. Nice to meet ya."

 

[Caelag Vass]

"The pleasure is mine... and that would depend on if you're willing to entertain a thought only a bit less stupid than fortune telling. Never was one to believe in such parlor tricks anyways." She turned and crossed her arms slowly, over her chest, and taking a deep breath. "I happen to be friends with a fairly powerful force user who's been very adamant that I learn to use what he considers a gift instead of a crutch. I've agreed to at least learn something.. useful, but only something I could understand easily. I don't understand the colors and fixtures of the world as well as I'd like, but something even a blind girl can understand is fire, warmth, heat."

"So, I suppose I came to ask you a question. Would you be willing to teach me, help me understand how this.. Force, how it can create, control fire. Believe me, if you need something to show my dedication, I'm more than willing to prove myself." She seemed a little rehearsed, like she'd been figuring her words for a long while, what she needed to say. Especially what she might have to do to prove herself, her commitment or earnest. Whatever it was she needed. She was no stranger to being doubted, after all.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Oh, goodie, I'm famous. Since when? Elpsis blinked. Her blindness made the gesture more than a little comical. "Uh, did I hear you right? You want me to train you? We, like, just met. And why me?" she knitted her brow together, looking and sounding more than a little puzzled. She was still pondering the possibility that the Great White Wolf was trolling her. By white wolf we refer to the female deity she worshipped, not the pet of a certain [member="Nima Tann"].

 

[Caelag Vass]

"Why not?" She shrugged, then motioned with her head to the burnt up female's body. "That, and you clearly have excellent control of it. And if you don't wish to teach me, then I'll simply move on to another, until I find someone who will. I'm far too determined to quit after all.. and why not then pass on the skillset? After all, there's no guarantee of quality, the longer my search goes on." She ran a thumb across her chin, before sighing gently. ".. If you'd rather know me before making a final choice I completely get it you know. I'll buy you a drink for your time, or whatever it is people do." By now it would be growing increasingly obvious to [member="Elpsis Elaris"] that the miraluka was, a bit uncomfortable talking to people. The woman was unable to tell if Elaris was a human or near-human, only her shape, and that she was strong in the force, glowing greatly against the dead backdrop of metal. And if she was a human, it would make her more uncomfortable, as memories of growing up would inevitably fill her mind.

She was a big ball of nerves, essentially, trying not to fall apart as she talked to her.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Elpsis was a bit taken aback by the other woman's reaction. She could tell that she was a big ball of nerves...but the way Caelag acted was still...rather odd. She reached out with her empathy, trying to calm her slightly. Nothing invasive. More like the mental equivalent of giving someone a pat on the shoulder.


"Girl, chill for a moment. Firstly, I'm not the teaching type," Elpsis began bluntly. "Secondly, no offence, I don't know you at all and I don't just show someone stuff to pass on the skil set. And the only thing you know about me is that I can set arseholes on the fire and look hot while doing so." In the light of the fact that both were blind, the looking hot part might have been a slightly poor choice of words, but no matter.


"And in any case this isn't a talk we should be having on the streets. Let's go have a drink. We can chat and see, kay?" Hopefully they would not drink too much liquor. Elpsis had high alcohol tolerance.

 

[Caelag Vass]

Caelag sighed lightly, holding onto her arms. The girl was right enough, and didn't flatly say 'no go find somewhere else'. So perhaps she was over reacting. She swallowed a moment and nodded, 'looking' right at her. "Alright... alright. I don't suppose you know anywhere decent? I've never been this far out." Or at least not for a long while, that was for certain...

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


"Decent?" Elpsis raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie, this is Nar Shaddaa. You get crappy and slightly less crappy. C'mon." Predictably, they ended up in a bar. It was of the slightly less crappy variety. There were dancers with negotiable affection, rock music and a clientele with a substantial proportion of scoundrels and riff-raff. The bouncers were rough and the barkeep had a disruptor hidden beneath the counter.


Still, they were largely left alone. Elpsis only had to teach a lesson to one scoundrel who did not understand that her arse, while fabulous, was off-limits. The lesson left his manhood in a state of pain. Then they were seated in a private booth, away from the noise. A waitress brought them drinks. Elpsis liked good Corellian whiskey.

 

[Caelag Vass]

"Decent is pretty relative I find. A decent place to eat on Coruscuant might have alright music and food, and a descent place on Tatooine has marginally less sand in your food." Caelag rubbed the back of her neck as she followed behind, predictably out of her element entirely. She hated large groups of people like this, so rowdy and disorganized, like children in an orphanage housing too many kids and not like a military barracks. No structure, no order, and she could swear she felt someone grab her rear as they passed. Unlike [member="Elpsis Elaris"], however, she restrained from removing the man's dignity, mostly out of her own self control and desire to not be reprimanded for improper behavior whenever she returned home.

Mostly the reprimanding thing though, that would hurt someone like her who fought for validation. Still, Elaris and her show of feminine brutality earned them a small private booth and drinks. The soldier wasn't exactly well versed in various beverages, opting to take the same as the woman seated across from her. She had her hands folded in her lap, her thumbs playing with one another as she 'stared' at her temporary companion, uncertain what to say or do. What finally came out was.. less than profound.

"Loud music.. You can still hear the thumping of the bass even here."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Elpsis had ordered Corellian whiskey. It was less rare these days since Corellia had stopped being a total hellhole. Brokellia was still a popular name on starmaps. Anyhow, the redhead picked up her glass with exaggerated care.


Perhaps the waitress knew her and had put the glass right in front of her because of that. Either way, she carefully brought it to her lips, spilling only a little bit, and took a sip. She did not bother look at the menu since she could not read it anyway. Caelag's comment made her chuckle a bit.


"Yeah. Ain't everyone's style. Couple years ago, scumpits like this were my home. Did merc work, smuggled, broke legs for creds and so on. Funny how things change when you get the push to turn your life around," she shrugged. "What about you? What's your story?"

 

[Caelag Vass]

Thank the stars the waitress noticed Caelag's headpiece, and placed the glass somewhere easily within reach. The Miraluka picked up the glass, and took a sip of the liquor within. She didn't spill, as she'd always lived without her eyesight and had little concern handling everything without knowing what she was doing. In response to the woman's story, she placed her glass back down and folded her arms gently, looking down at her lap as she spoke.

"I'm a soldier. I get told where to march and march. I get told to jump and I ask how high. Except now I'm the one saying jump, to march, to shoot, to die. Well, thinking on it I guess I've always been that one, but now it's not just two or three people I'm sending off to untimely ends." She shrugged a little bit and tilted her head back up with a weak little smile, though she was sure that [member="Elpsis Elaris"] couldn't see it. "Of course if you wanted a sob story I could go back further than that, get to the gritty details of it all. Though frankly if I told you everything, I'd have to kill you, and I'd rather not do that. Your voice is nice on the ears after all."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Elpsis chuckled. "Then you'd better not tell me everything, because it'd be real embarrassing for you to fail at killing me and having spilled the beans! 'sides, your voice is nice too, and I'm sure you look nice, too. Your aura's pretty." Elpsis was a grandmistress of bad innuendo and corny lines.


"So which army are you in? Soldier life ain't for me, personally. Not someone who likes to yell a lot. Or take orders." Theoretically, she worked for Firemane, but she still stood outside the rigid hierarchy. Unlike [member="Tempest"], for instance, who was also an officer in their army.

 

[Caelag Vass]

"I could say the same as yours. The force sits nicely over you, unlike some present." She laughed a little, feeling a bit more comfortable after a couple of light jests, though still well out of her comfort zone still. "Iron Empire. Quite a long flight home for me, and no in flight movies for me. Quite a torture if I'm being real honest." She ran a thumb over her chin as she spoke, paying attention for any shifts in [member="Elpsis Elaris"]'s posture. Though she did not feel threatened by her, it was instinct to pay close attention to movements around her. Besides, she could tell if Elaris was thinking on something she said that way.

"I prefer to lead by action, rather than shouting a difference into my soldiers. No point in destroying my throat when I can be of more use showing them what to do."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Elpsis liked it when ladies, uh, liked her aura. Anyhow, moving on! "Yeah, leading by example's probably the best way. Certainly hurts your throat less!" she agreed. "Visited the IE once. Sold some toys to the folks over there. Too many of the planets over there are ice balls. No offence, I'm just not keen on the cold."


She brought the glass to her mouth, emptying it in one gulp. "So your bosses want you learn Forcey stuff and you decided to go look for the hot blind chick who can toss fireballs around, huh?"

 

[Caelag Vass]

"I'm not so much a fan of the cold either. Still, nice to know people are as blind as me for once." She smiled, before getting a little more serious and finishing her glass as well. To her question, she tilted her head in thought. "More than that, I wanted to find the woman who was able to shape and control fire. If I wanted someone who could make a ball of fire and toss it I could go look for a half dozen people on those frozen planets who learned it out of necessity. I wanted someone who I could trust was capable of shaping it with greater ability. The hot chick part is mostly bonus."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Caelag Vass"]


Elpsis had many good qualities and was not a narcissist like her aunt, but she liked a bit of flattery here and there. "Just a bonus, huh? A great one though," she said a bit smugly. "Well, I figure I can show you some stuff. Just so you know, I'm not the make a commitment and pass on the legacy type master. Hell, I hate it when people call me master," she added honestly. Being referred to as such always made her feel awkward.


She didn't know much about IE, but they seemed alright sorts, once you got past their penchant for ice planets. "So, what experience have you got with the Force? I mean beyond the obvious needing it to see and having a glowstick part. Ever summoned fire before? Even if just by accident."