The Dead and Those Searching

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

Val didn't say anything to Ryssa in response. Instead his eyes wandered from place to place, looking at everything and anything that he could. This place was...well interesting beyond all belief. He could see why the moniker had stuck to this man, it was clearly fitting. He frowned slightly as he saw a few of the things, sometimes looking at holo-projections that were displayed in front of the cases. He read a few of them, following along behind Ryssa as she lead the way.

"I won't." Val said with an absent mind.

There were...well more interesting things here than being scolded by Ryssa.

A part of him wondered how long it had taken for all of this to come together, whether or not it had all been paid for or if some of it had been acquired through more...brutal means. The idea that Ryssa and he were here to talk to this man about Sith almost certainly pointed to the latter being true, but a part of him didn't want to be.

Took away some of the mystique.

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Ryssa Rourke." the nasally voice went echoing throughout the chamber. It originated from the second story, where an open balcony had a tall, thin man with short white hair in tall tuffs on top of his head. His eyes were heavy set, his features gaunt. While his cheeks were sunken he had a rather large mouth that almost split his face in two.

In his hand was a clear drink. It was a Starblaze Moijto, complete with the floating green mint and a slice of lime. He stared down at the two with an almost whimsical stare. Curious and probing.

"It has been a while, precious." his teeth were sharp. He was humanoid for certain, but... not. His eyes went shifting from the Changling over to Val.

"And with company...."

Ryssa gave a grimace.

"For now." she added, coming to a halt. She gave a tilt of her head back, staring up at the man in question.

"Val, the Collector..." she gestured back and forth to introduce them both.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

He looked up, perked an eyebrow, but then simply waved . ”Good day.”

It was just about the most civilized greeting that Val knew.

Most of his time in the Outer Rim hadn’t been spent among high society or people of any real notable standing. It had been spent almost entirely wallowing in the filth of peasant villages and ancient ruins. He hadn’t minded it, still didn’t mind it in truth, but he was extremely out of place in this situation, and that story was told by the way he stood.

It didn’t help that he found the Collector’s Collections far more interesting than the creature itself.

Perhaps that was his fatal flaw, not giving the man himself enough attention, though he supposed in a way that collecting something without having people know you have it rather defeated the point, so perhaps the man would be pleased with Val’s interest.

Who knew.

Either way Val decided to stay quiet, letting Ryssa do the talking.

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Such a magnificent creature." the Collector said, letting his gaze flow from the top of Val's head down to his boots. He paid particular attention to his heterochromic eyes, as if intrigued by the difference.

"I did not know you would expand your horizons to traveling with another, precious." he turned from his balcony to head towards the spiraling staircase. His voice would float over as he continued to speak. "My this is bold of you." a low chuckle bubbled forth.

Ryssa gave a grimace at the endearment. She didn't particularly like it, but one dealt with things when one wanted to deal with someone like the Collector. No one knew his real name and he never bothered to tell it. They had no idea where he came from, what he did, or what his over all purpose was. All they knew is that he enjoyed collecting information and interesting trinkets. If they only knew that he was an Anzat fulfilling a curious little time here at Das K'no W'ere where he could feed without anyone really picking up on missing beings.

"So what do I owe this pleasure?" he rounded over until he stood just a few meters in front of them.

"Looking to trade information." she began, going through her mind on how to go about this.

"And what do you have to tempt me to use my databanks?" he asked rather amusingly, flicking his gaze from the blue woman over to the large male.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

An odd sort of tingle of rage ran up at his spine. Val quickly learned that he didn't like being 'inspected' but somehow he managed not to grab the man by the throat and ring his neck. It was an impressive feat really, one that he would have expected a complement for at any other time. Instead however he stayed silent, lips thin, eye set forward. He tried not to let the creature both him, instead folding his gaze back towards the exhibit within the hall.

This was still Ryssa's show.

The question that The Collector posed was an interesting one. What did they have to trade? He supposed that money wasn't worth much to the thing, same with the blasters. Perhaps a few days ago he would have taken Val's armor...but that was lost now. A frown settled on his face as he remembered that little tidbit, a bit of anomisoty still clinging to him because of that whole fiasco.

Damn Cultists. Val thought to himself.

It it hadn't been for them he'd still have his armor.

His attention refocused itself after the small curse of reprieve however, falling onto one of the backwalls. He saw a carving there that caught his attention, one that looked very familiar. Flowing robes, long hair, bonetooth necklace. He grimaced slightly, trying to be sure. Gently he nudged Ryssa when the Collector looked away from her, nodding towards the carved stone.

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Well this is the part that gets interesting. Trade. It was always a tit for a tat, especially when it came to the Collector. There were a few things she had that she could potentially use. Her last few excavations had seen her come out with interesting trinkets and a few datacrons. Maybe he'd take it for that.

However, it wasn't best to give him an option off the bat. She had to be able to milk it for what it was worth or else the Changling would have no leverage. Then Ryssa caught what Val had been studying. It took all she had to not give an indication of a tell.

Taking her satchel, she unslung it from her arm. Moving to an oval table, she set her bag on top of it. Taking out her datapad, the blue-skinned woman brought up a specific file. All the while, the Collector kept observing Val with piqued interest. Much like one would study a bug.

"You have fascinating eyes." the Collector said in his nasally voice. One step then two. There were few sapients that could likely match Val for height. This was one of them.

"Where are you from?" he inquired.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

Val looked towards the creature.

He had shared some of his information with Ryssa, his homeworld, but for some reason he didn't feel quite so comfortable telling this creature as he had the blue woman. He doubted The Collector would find VIllith very interesting at all, but there was an air of caution surrounding Val...one that meant he didn't necessarily want to divulge any secrets to this thing. He frowned for a moment and then cocked his head to the side, thinking for a second before finally speaking.

"Well." Val said simply. "That's information you would have to pay for."

It wasn't like his homeworld would have anything to do with his eyes anyway.

Yet it was a way of gaining leverage, and redirecting the question he didn't want to answer at the same time.

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

If the Collector took his reply as insolence, he didn't show it. Instead that wide, thin lipped mouth curved upward into a large smile. As if he found some amusement at his answer. The intense study of the broad shoulder man took another few seconds, before he simply said.

"You find interest in my statue, do you not?" a small gesture went towards the velmstone carving of flowing robes and a bonetooth necklace.

"Marvelous work." he turned, those long legs taking him towards it. "I can tell you more about it if you tell me of you in turn."

Meanwhile Ryssa stood a bit dumbstruck holding her datapad, just waiting to reveal what she could offer in trade. Looks like Val was something of interest -- and of use beyond bashing heads -- after all.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

"I don't care about the statue." That wasn't entirely true, but he already knew more than enough about it than he wanted to. The piece was similar to what they had seen within the caves, and in truth he didn't care too much for art. Yet he saw the opportunity in this, saw it just as plainly as Ryssa likely had. So he decided to keep going, if only because this was seemingly an easier way to get what the two of them wanted.

"I want to know about the man who it was carved for." Presumably Moridin himself didn't carve it. "Moridin."

The collector chuckled.

"How amusing."

Val perked an eyebrow. Why was that amusing? He frowned and shot a glance towards Ryssa. A part of him felt like he was missing some piece of information that was rather important. Yet the collector shifted, pulling something out of his pocket as he turned back towards Val. A small switch was pressed, and then suddenly an image cropped up in the center of the room. It was a man, dressed in the same way the statue was, his gaunt face and wardrobe perfectly painted, his highlighted by a set of bright glowing orange eyes.

"I well tell you. If you tell me."

The Collector hissed. Val frowned for a moment, then nodded. "I was born on a world called Vilith."

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Interesting."

The way the Collector said it did not bode well for Ryssa. She narrowed her eyes, watching the tall gaunt man survey Val and ruminate whatever he was thinking with sardonic amusement.

"Moridin. The former Sith Emperor. One might say The Sith Emperor."

Yeah but we already know that, Ryssa thought to her self. That was the thing, the Collector didn't give information away for free. You have to be specific with the questions. He would give no more and no less. In this case he gave exactly one sniper of information. That Moridin was the former Sith Emperor.

The Collector gave a cant of his head as if he were inspecting a facinating insect under a microscope.

"Are you able to use the Force?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

"Moridin created artifacts." That was not a question, nor was it an answer.

Val knew that, but he just wanted to get things straight out of what he needed and wanted. The Viking of course had no idea where the Collectors questions were heading, and in truth...well he didn't really care. Val didn't consider himself all that special, and he certainly didn't think that the Collector would find anything of note within him. He was just a simple farmer, a boy that had grown up wanting to be something but only turning out to be...well simple.

"Is there a way to identify them?" They already knew a little about the gauntlet, but Val wanted to know more.

They knew it healed, and about the cult, that was it.

What if there was a book? Or perhaps a codex or something. Then he finally answered the question. "No, I cannot use the force."

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

The Collector had the sort of expression on his face that would suggest Val's answer had intrigued him even further. However, if there was anything to it or rhyme or reason, he did not say. Instead he made the decision to lean against the banister and take another sip of his drink.

"Moridin left his mark in a rather unique way. It isn't hard to discern. The Sith Lord did have a certain flair one might say. "

Ryssa was confused, her face scrunched up as if she wasn't quite sure what was going on. She finally decided to step in.

"The question we would like to ask is, do you know anything about Moridin and what he may have wanted to create with the healers turned Cult of the Ominous fist?"

Now that was a bit more specific. Question was, what would he want in return if he did know?

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

The Collector looked at Ryssa for half a moment.

"A device for healing. Obviously."

The Collector smirked...or what resembled a smirk to Val, and then turned his attention back to the viking. There was an odd sort of tingle that went up Val's spine, a temptation to well...snap the creatures neck. He wasn't ordinarily violent...well not needlessly so anyway, but this thing...well it made him incredibly uncomfortable. Killing it wouldn't have been all that hard and...no. That wasn't right. Just because it made his skin crawl doesn't mean he could snap its neck.

"Why?" Val asked.

"He was sick. Very sick."

An eyebrow raised. Moridin sick? Val hadn't seen anything like that in the holo-docs nor had he read anything about it. He frowned for a moment and shifted his weight, looking at Ryssa as though she had an answer. His gaze drifted towards the Collector once again when no answer was forthcoming.

"An illness born of the force I'm told...centuries ago, before he was ever Emperor."

The Collector's lips sealed, as if signifying that would be the last of what he would say on the subject.

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"What illness?" Ryssa inquired. She was pushing her luck, she knew it, but if the Collector was willing to spare a few details due to his fascination of Val, all the better. They were already getting more information than she expected, and the Changling had imagined that it would take more in trade for him to give as much.

"Ah, ah, ah, Ryssa. You know the drill." he'd chide her.

Her lips thinned.

"Well, what would you like in turn?"

His eyes then swiveled over to Val. Did he have another question?

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

"Do you recognize this man?"

Somewhere a remote was pressed, though whether The Collector had it or it was some kind of droid Val had no idea. There was a slight whirring, and then an image sprang to life in front of them. It hazed for half a moment, and then quickly turned into the picture of a man. It took a few seconds to take on detail, but after a moment Val was presented with a picture of something...well very much like himself. He frowned for a moment and inspected the image.

The color was off a bit, but enough detail was shown that Val could make out most things.

The figure was as tall as him, though he didn't give that much credence since it was a holo image, but the lines of the mans face and the odd accents of his cheeks were reminiscent of...well himself. He frowned for a moment, trying to peer past the mans thick beard. "No."

Val said turning to the Collector.

"Answer the question." The Collector frowned for a moment, and then clicked something else.

The image shifted, and then turned to a fuller and more vibrant color.

This time when Val looked at the image and found to bright glowing orange eyes staring back at him.

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

@Valkyrien Aurelios

At first, Ryssa wasn't sure where this game was going. The Collector so did enjoy his games. Some say it was as if he were enjoying a game of Dejairk, moving pieces along his own mental play at his ultimate ending solution. At least, until the picture bloomed with certain vibrancy.

Now she knew that this really had nothing to do with her as much as the Collector's fascination with Val.

Her yellow eyes surveyed the hologram and then back at Val. Once more. Twice. One eye of fire and one of blue compared to the twin suns that bore back to a striking resemblance to her companion.

"How about now?" the collector said.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

There was a familiarity to those eyes.

It was, perhaps, obvious to The Collector, maybe even to Ryssa, but for Val it wasn't so clear. He looked at the image, he saw...he saw himself, but not himself. A frown settled on his lips for a few moments as he tried to reason through this. "No."

He said simply.

It was the truth after all. Val saw that there was a similarity, but he had no idea who this man was, no idea what his name was. He had certainly never met him. That was the question after all, if Val knew him. His lips thinned for a moment and he looked at the collector.

"Why?" Stress dripped through his tone. "Who is this?"

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

At that the Collector gave a silvery smile that crept from ear to ear. But he did not answer Val's question.

"You have what you came for no?" he turned to Ryssa, lifting a brow. He had planted a seed. Now he was curious to see just what would come of it.

"No. " Ryssa added.

"I need to know more information on a specific Sith Lord."

That amused the Collector to no end. As if he had all the cards and the others playing were completely oblivious.

"This one." she adjusted the information on her datapad and displayed what information Tionas had given him.

"A Vjun." He made a soft scoff.

"Here I thought you were going to give me something interesting, precious." a turn to Val.

"Well... I guess you have." a small gesture dismissed her.

"You may use the databank to search for your Sith." he would be monitoring the searches.

"You have three minutes."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Ryssa Rourke"]

"Answer me." Val's voice rung through the room as Ryssa quickly scrambled towards the console. She could hear the edge in his tone, the slight hint of anger, the threat. The Viking was annoyed, and he didn't like playing games. Puzzles had been one of Aerith's activities, but for Val they had always been something of a nightmare. That fact extended well into Verbal puzzles as well, the exact type that the Collector had now left hanging in the air.

"No."

The answer came, and Val's response was anything but delicate.

He wasn't a subtle man, and well...this hit a bit too close to home. Clearly The Collector knew something, and that something had hit close to home. He was no fool, and the question that the man had posed...the similarities between himself and the holo-image, it pressed a button that shouldn't have been pressed.

Val's hand shot out and immediately grabbed the Collector, his fingers tightening instantly as he dragged the creature close and into the anwswer.

"Answer." There was a bit to his tone. "The question."

 

[Ryssa Rourke]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Ryssa had barely begun the search and clicked enter when Val made his move. Alarm went ripping through her body, her eyes bulging out of her face. Oh KARK it!

"Val! STOP!" she cried out, rushing forward to try and pull the man holding the skinny, tall figure of the Collector in his grasp. This was bad, SO bad. The Collector wasn't one that anyone tried to push, much the less attack of all things. Blue hands went curling around the tense, flexing arm that dug into the Collector. Yet it was the garbled, choked laugh that came bubbling out of the anzat that told another tale instead.

His eyes were wide, bright grey like those of a dead fish. Spittle clung to his lips and he laughed. Laughed through Val's ire. Through the glower that darkened Val's visage into a mottled red and made that eye glow burn.

"Why? When you already know the answer?" he laughed.

"Your time is ticking. Two minutes and a half."