Faction The Hunt for the Dark Empress [Part I]

[Avalore]

Avalore appeared through a throng of bodies, the once punitive girl now a tangle of limbs and boney angles.

A scowl was etched across her features, something clearly bothering her as she tucked 25 ucks back into her pocket and drifted silently to Ashin’s side.

She said nothing and was unlikely to. Lately Avalore only spoke when there was something to say. It might be easy to over look and forget the girl was there, if it wasn’t for unsettling nature of her gaze. She was watching everything.

She looked over the stranger and the object in his hand.

Ashin Cardé Varanin Cord###

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

NIGHTHUNTER PORT
UNDERGROUND MARKET
Cord Avalore

Ashin handed over an appropriate amount of Underworld Credits — 'ucks,' as the youths were calling them — for a spread of Cord's work. She uncapped the meditation tonic and sniffed gently.

"Interesting material. Here, Avalore — tell me what you think of these."

In the couple of years since she'd taken the sullen, fractious girl as a student, Ashin had exposed her to the basics of alchemical theory and practice. She wouldn't be coming at it cold.

 

[Avalore]

Avalore took the tonic and, with an up-turned nose, sniffed. The twang of something metallic masked any other components to her beginner senses. Even a careful nudge of the force and a probing whisper in old sith was not enough to paint a clear picture. Unlike her master, Avalore did not like alchemy. It was slow and at times understated.

She preferred more satisfying methods.

As lazy as she was with the art, she was a dutiful reader. "...Metallic, so... It's a suppressive. But there's something ... under it," she answered vaguely, trying to cover all possible angles. She glanced up at Ashin and tried to read if she was close in her response.

"A second step?"

She hated being wrong.

Ashin Cardé Varanin Cord

 

[Cord]

Ashin Cardé Varanin Avalore

"What you're smelling is probably blood." Cord replied to the apprentice. He didn't particularly like discussing the intricacies of his work, but he had a feeling the master knew quite a bit already. He also felt like he was in an interview.

"If you read the classic texts or interpretations 'blood of the innocent' is the better, but in my experience the difference is difficult to identify, and more difficult to measure. I use a binding agent. Doesn't make it stronger per se, but makes it all work. This one in particular contains a lot of blood because it's built to replicate the ability of a unique species. The Bith specifically. I also put in a little bit of their diet and a little bit of their homeworld's environment. Replicating the effect isn't too bad, but making sure your potions compatible with other species take some doing. Especially the farther away you get from the, ahem, 'donor'. Probably that second step you're talking about. This one'll work just as well on a Verpine or a Whiphid as a near-human. That's the best way I've seen to spot an amateur. They only bother with near-humans "

Cord tried to be factual, teaching, but not overbearing in his explanation. Perhaps he did two of those things well. He wasn't used to dealing with other forcers, let alone alchemists.

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

NIGHTHUNTER PORT
UNDERGROUND MARKET
Cord Avalore

"Hm."

Ashin mulled over all of the above as she tucked her purchases away in the simple shoulder bag she'd brought to the market. She removed a vial containing a twisted root and handed it to Cord. It felt malevolent, hungry and certainly dark side, but nothing whatsoever like a Sith.

"This is a piece of Drengir root," she said. "Deadly hive mind, implacable. If you can create something that would help in a situation where the Drengir are hunting you — and any contact with Drengir is a situation where Drengir are hunting you — there's a berth on my academy ship with your name on it. Not to mention significant money. My name is Ashin Varanin." Former Sith Empress, a good thirty-five years ago. "This is my student Avalore."

 

[Wyatt Morga]

Korriban​

875ABY​

​

Wyatt's hood was raised far over his face. Anyone in Sith space would recognize him - he'd done enough damage to their Empire during the Rebel Alliance incursion near Bastion and helped pushed them out of the Core with his Jedi Unification efforts. Were there any Jedi to be displayed as a 'Most Wanted' he would certainly have made the cut - so now he walked timid and low, scrunching his shoulders and averting his eyes to seem smaller and less 'noble' as a Jedi often came across.​

​

Various trade languages were spoken around them - freighters and merchants from across the galaxy looking to capitalize on the destroyed sith economy, inflated goods hoping to take advantage of the shortages. While the Ashlan Crusade did its humanitarian work, the New Imperial Order took what it needed for the War Machine, and bombed whatever it didn't need. Between that and the lingering threat of rogue Bryn'adul elements - it was practically post apocalyptic in this area of space.​

​

"Where should we begin?", he asked his compatriots, adjusting uncomfortably as they meandered through a crowd.​

​

Team A: Valery Noble // Coren Starchaser
Team B: Julius Sedaire // Romi Jade // Allyson Locke​

 

[Coren Starchaser]

As a Jedi Master, he was much more a wayseeker, he was out of the loop more often nowadays. Not that he didn't care for the events of the galaxy, but it was a younger Jedi's game now. He could do many things, but he was learning that it wasn't possible to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "There are many beings out there that can help us, Jedi or not… Back during the Alliance of Sullust, the Jed Order of that time had enlisted the help of other Force users, and the Silvers do use the Antarian Rangers.

"The help is out there if we need it." The Jedi Master was looking around.

As they traveled, though, he was prepping his equipment. If he was going to kriffing Korriban, he was going to be prepped. His arm was repaired, and charged, they may need it. The Force was everywhere but on Korriban, it always felt chaotic, and dark. He knew that he could summon the Light anywhere, but he needed to have his weapons.

His robes were dark and over pieces of the armor that he wore, phrik and light. It was modified from an older Frontier Corps design, to protect him from direct strikes. Stepping through, the dark robes would cover what was under, the black leather was imbued to help protect him, and the color scheme was designed to prevent him from being seen as anything but a regular civilian. His lightsaber was hidden under the robe, but his side arm was visible.

"We need to see what we can do to find them. We reach to the Force, and Ashin could bug out, if she feels us."

Valery Noble Wyatt Morga

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Uhl Valaviteco​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Wyatt Morga Coren Starchaser ​

​

After the briefing, Valery joined Wyatt and Coren as part of their team to begin their side of the investigation on Korriban. With Coren being a proper pilot, she happily let him fly there while she went through an equipment check. She wasn't one to bring a lot of things along with her — mostly just her lightsabers and the gloves that had a few simple functions. But with the planet they were heading towards now, everything had to be ready.​

​

Korriban was a very unforgiving place to be, with dangerous creatures still roaming around and Sith traveled there often enough in hopes of finding something that could give them an edge over others. Valery had been there not too long ago herself to investigate a tomb and purge a dangerous artifact.​

​

To be back so soon wasn't something she had expected.​

​

"Agreed." She said, her eyes turning to Coren.​

​

"We should suppress ourselves in the Force and be careful using it. We don't want to sound of the alarms." She smirked faintly and awaited their arrival. The situation and mission were rather tense, but she was ready.​

​

​

 

[Cord]

Cord took the bottled Drengir root and examined it heavily with his eyes and the Force. It seemed alive, in a way it shouldn't be sealed in an airtight bottle after Force knows how long. The signature was dark, but oddly enough not of the rage typical of the Sith. The overwhelming emotion emanating from the bottle was hunger. Cord wondered if this feeling was what it would have been like to meet Nihilus in the flesh, millennia ago. He pondered the effects of his fire oil, possibly sealing or redirecting the hunger, and sealing the hive mind Ashin described before Ashin Cardé Varanin 's introduction snapped him to reality.

"Most folk call me Cord " he replied to Ashin and Avalore . The end result of the 'interview' so to speak, was a take home assignment. One that would take a fair but of time in the best conditions. Still, it wasn't a no, which was better than he'd gotten from Akure Leather as a child.

"I have some ideas, but it'll take some time. I'll find you when I have some products " He replied. Some would ask for a way to reach her, but Cord knew Varanin probably didn't want to leave a calling card. Plus, offering to find her showed a little bit of a confidence and independence that would hopefully be valued in a prospective student.

Still, that name. Ashin Varanin. He'd heard it before, but he just couldn't place where.

 

[Wyatt Morga]

"Agreed."​

​

There were already a number of Jed in the region - it wasn't uncommon to feel their presence within the Stygia Caldera, but Jedi of their caliber were few and far between. Any he could think of were parsecs away at best, or engaged on the other side of the galaxy with the threat the Maw posed. Any trigger they could avoid was best - lest they startle Ashin Cardé Varanin before she's even close to being within their grasp.​

​

"I think checking with the shipping lanes may be a good start. Local freighters may have seen it - someone might have sold her tibanna gas, assuming she wasn't wearing a disguise."​

​

And so they did exactly that - walked to the spaceport, asked around the hangers and warehouses only to no avail. More than two dozen prospective leads and they all lead to nowhere; proving that finding a dangerous Sith on Korriban was a bit harder than one could imagine. Their questions and pressure pushed them onwards until they arrived at the 'Thirsty Acolyte' - a slum lord's cantina full of teamsters and pilots.​

​

When the three of them walked in, there was a harsh look pushed their way - but most went back to drinking after only a second. The room was filled with the iconic JIzz of the region; a thick smell mixing about the room from a variety of alien smoking utilities threatened to choke out there air. Even Wyatt stifled a cough with his hand as they moved into the place and found a table.​

​

"You'd think this would be easier.", he said with some exasperation - but while his mouth complained, his eyes watched the crowds. It was not the first time he had done so, but he lowered his hood and watched for reactions. Took care to see anyone moving against the grain.​

​

"If there's a chance we'll find her on Korriban, I think this may be the spot.", he said idly.​

​

Coren Starchaser // Valery Noble​

​

Romi Jade // Julius Sedaire // Allyson Locke​

 

[Avalore]

Avalore handed back the vile of blood between two pinched fingers, her nose crinkled in wordless distaste.

Ew.

Her attention on the stranger waned to the stalls around them. They would be heading back soon, they never liked to linger and with luck the ship might be operable. Might. Luck. Avalore sensed they had a day ahead of them and her stomach was in need of food. She glanced up at Ashin Cardé Varanin , then stepped within sight towards a vendor selling skewered meat.

She slid over a bronze credit and rolled back on her heels in anticipation. It was the size of her face.

 

[Muk Moadda]

the 'Thirsty Acolyte' - a slum lord's cantina full of teamsters and pilots.When the three of them walked in, there was a harsh look pushed their way - but most went back to drinking after only a second. The room was filled with the iconic JIzz of the region; a thick smell mixing about the room from a variety of alien smoking utilities threatened to choke out there air.

THE THIRSTY ACOLYTE
KORRIBAN

Some of those smoking utilities were downright karking necessities. Muk had made the serious error of buying tickets to the Korriban Breakneck podrace, and now he found himself dry as a bone and desperate for a ride offworld. He sloshed his herb-enhanced portable humidifier with abandon, soaking his cable-knit sweater.

His eyes brightened as he and his cloud moved to intercept Wyatt Morga , Coren Starchaser , and Valery Noble .

"Ooh, you're the not-Jedi asking around the port." He winked seismically. "With a nice little ship I hear. Looking for the Pomo, ya, Pomojema. I seen the Pomojema. Two thousand ucks and I'll tell you everything. Eeeeverything."

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

As Avalore went for street meat, Ashin gave Cord her contact information and moved on. She still had shopping to do while the techs tried to get the Pomojema spaceworthy.

These distractions aside, she found herself worried. The Drengir would be here eventually — in hours or days or weeks, no matter what countermeasures she employed. Nothing worked for long except constant movement.

Even abandoning the Pomojema wouldn't work. Plenty of those aboard had joined her ill-fated experiments with the Root-Mind. They were targets, favored prey, just as much as Ashin was. In theory they and the Pomojema could delay the Drengir as sacrificial lambs, but she knew she could last far longer with them on her side than without.

Splitting from the Pomojema for a while could divide the Drengir's attention. Maybe kiting a Drengir offensive through Ashlan Crusade territory might help...

 

[Coren Starchaser]

As they were off, Coren kept pace, looking around the landing area. He loved port cities, but didn't really care for Korriban none too much. Pobably first step to suppressing themselves in the Force was to stop bringing the Force up. He'd been trying to sneak around the Sith for how long? And every single time he would always bring it up the same way. He needed some code. Could an old dog learn new tricks?

He damned well hoped so.

But with his lightsaber, really, he'd be a bit of a beacon, that crystal was not going to be quiet.

As they made their way, he was asking questions, operating a falsified freighter known as Rising Tide, and well, it was a Mobquet freighter, his YT had nothing to be jealous of. But he'd heard enough of the Pomojema to help falsify a claim or two. And when they entered the Acolyte' he tried his best to hide that look of disgust when he caught the odor of the bar.

"Not Jedi? Us? I don't even know why you'd say something like that. Just some shippers, hoping to repay a favor." Well, it was a lie, and a damned bad one, but he wasn't about to say he and his team were Jedi.


Wyatt Morga Valery Noble Muk Moadda

 

[Wyatt Morga]

When Muk Moadda walked up to their table and claimed they were 'Not-Jedi', Wyatt scratched at his head and averted his eyes. The man was a great fighter, a great teacher, and a wonderful Jedi - but none of that really came with lying. If he were to speak up now his voice would in likelyhood crack under the strain and he'd blow what little 'cover' he thought they had. So instead, he let the others speak for him, clearing his throat and occupying his time with a drink.​

​

Coren Starchaser // Valery Noble​

 

[Muk Moadda]

THE THIRSTY ACOLYTE
KORRIBAN
Wyatt Morga Valery Noble Coren Starchaser

"Uh-huh. Well, maybe I tell you what you wanna know, you pay up, and to sweeten the pot—" Muk held up big Mon Cal hands to form a picture frame between thumbs and forefingers, centred on Coren. "—I'll tell you how much an autographed picture of this fine gentleman goes for on the HoloNet. Oh, and the price just went up. Two thousand, plus an autographed somethin' from Mister Public Figure here."

He gave Coren's dark leather civilian getup a slow once-over and wiggled his eyebrow fringes.

"Look, you kids did everything right except two bits. You showed up asking around everywhere for the Pomojema when the only folks looking for the Pomo are Sith who want in and you are NOT Sith. That's all thing one. Thing two is you hang out with, again..." He gestured at Coren once more and whispered, in complete seriousness, " Cotan Sar'andor "

 

[Romi Jade]

K O R R I B A N
Few hours after touching down...

War exacted its price not only in the destruction by -- and of -- the engines of war, but in the minds and souls of those who fight the battles. Many of those who were brought up and perished here knew such a corrupting touch. Looking inward, Jade knew it too; it's a cycle of continuously striving for serenity in chaos. After all she had been through...she knew how to find what specks of light that existed in chaotic and twisted scenarios.

Deep in her trance, she sees shimmering, magnetic tendrils in the force reaching for her. On a world scarred such as this, the depth of darkness went beyond normal means. But it was possible to walk a path through -- such were similar teachings in Vaapad. Centering her being, she reached out with her mind, deep into the empyrean.

Through her probe, she encounters a wave of self-oppression, anguish, and despair that assaults the minds of those on her side. However, intensely focused on the life energy floating through the stars around them, she begins to dissolve these mere illusions, not internalize. She spent the last few hours getting in tune with this world -- She let herself and the others on her team wash away, scattered into the backdrop of evil; Shrouded for the time being. A false Dark Side signature.

She stood up, "Alright, our presence should be shrouded." She turned to Julius Sedaire and Allyson Locke

"I-" she got cut off by the dinging cadence of her comm.

She stepped off to the side, <"Anything?">

<"Hey there ya beaut. I've got nothing on an Ashin, and anything matching the description of that ship has been scarce. Sorry Love. You should watch your back out there Romi, there's been a lot of fuss along the Daragon Trail -- reports of Drengir attacks."> This was Oren Phet, the charismatic leader of the Redu Freeholders, a groups of mercs and privateers Romi encountered back when she was a Knight, busting them in a conspiracy that in turned earned her their respect when they survived the Battle of Hoylin together.

<"Drengir?"> She wasn't familiar.

<"Crazy plant beast things. Nothing you want to run into by the sounds of it. Lost a good amount of men on runs coming through there. Just be careful.">

<"Thanks. I owe you one.">

Back to her team, and even opened up her ongoing mind link with Coren Starchaser so he could hear this question too, "Are any of you familiar with a Drengir? Sound familiar?"

----

Wyatt Morga | Valery Noble

 

[Avalore]

A small form fell into Ashin's side, walking in step as she picked at her meal. She could sense the thickness of her master's thoughts but she said nothing on it. If it had been up to her they would have never poked the bee hive that had gotten them into this mess, but that was neither here nor there now.

She was done exploring this measly place but she didn't head back to the massive academy that loomed over the port behind them. She liked stretching her legs a lot more than she liked recycled air. She kicked at a rock before speaking up.

"How old are you?" The comment seemed to come out of no where, but Avalore was not known for asking frivolous questions. Well. Not anymore. She looked up, darkening eyes intently curiosity.

Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

SVOLTEN
NIGHTHUNTER PORT
UNDERGROUND MARKET

"How old are you?" The comment seemed to come out of no where, but Avalore was not known for asking frivolous questions. Well. Not anymore. She looked up, darkening eyes intently curiosity.

Ashin poked through a pile of mouldering amulets carved from terentatek fangs, selected one, and paid the merchant. You could never go wrong with a nice terentatek-fang amulet.

"I don't actually know," Ashin said at last, tucking the amulet into her pocket. "Memory is inextricable from biology, and I've used and abused and replaced half a dozen bodies or more. Despite my best efforts, memory always corrodes eventually. I was born around seventy years ago. Why do you ask?"

A hint of a smile.

"Planning for immortality already?"

 

[Avalore]

"No," she intoned, as if that was silly. "...It came up with Master Selak. " Avalore had the opportunity to shadow many of the academy's instructors when Ashin was otherwise preoccupied. It allowed her to gain a familiarity with large variety of things, none of which she showed a preference for yet.

She touched a particularly attractive amulet, then turned and kept on Ashin's heel. "Would it work though? For shaking them off?" While a large part of her had no doubt that Ashin would overcome their current struggles eventually, there was a part of her that was... less than confident about the whole thing.

Was this her life now? She didn't want it to be. She took an angry bite of the meat instead.

Ashin Cardé Varanin