The Lady and the 'Vamp'

[Ariealla Vareldi]

<<Ha ha get it? cause she eats people? I'm bad at puns.>>

This was absolutely ridiculous, a waste of resources at this point. All she had told her 'cult' of a family to do was find her a suitable plaything to stalk, or lay in wait for. And what do they do? Give her the absolute vaguest idea of where to wait. Bakura, that was truly all they had told her. 'Wait on Bakura, a plaything will be there within the standard week'. Sure, of course they would. That's what they had said seven days ago, and for all their work she had nothing yet. It was downright embarrassing at this point, waiting on the planet had been her go to plan and it seemed that she'd spent her time hiding her force energy in the background of the near-sith planet for nothing.

She growled and threw a datapad across the clearing she was in, the screen cracking loudly as it hit a tree on the other side. Unfortunate, for shortly after it shut down from the stress it had just gone through, a single blip would've shown up. That would've told her all she needed to know, that there was someone landing on the planet not far from where she was. Instead she just angrily sat against her tree, eyes shut and trying to gain a handle on herself. If she let herself go now, she might forget to take her pills in the next half hour. And that wouldn't end well for anyone.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Ariealla Vareldi"]

The Free Lady was indeed coming to a landing in one of the clearings near the mountains. After such a hectic past few weeks, Kay needed some time to herself and to wind down. She instructed her pilot Terrac to stay behind while she left the ship.

Given that she was in an isolated area and had no bounties on her head, she didn't bother to hide her Force signature. Instead she just threw her satchel over her shoulder and made her way into the trees. Her satchel was packed with rations, her blaster and spare clothes. Not to mention her tea supplies. It was enough to last her a few days, but she figured her time away would only be for two. There was a lake not far off and a hidden shelter that she used from time to time.

Kay had no idea that enemy spies were watching her. Afterall, Bakura didn't have much to offer the Sith.

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

And the sudden sensation of sensing the all-too-familiar energies of a lightsider practically made her vomit from the unexpected arrival. Actually she did vomit a little bit in her mouth, though fortunately she'd been eating very little this past week. She wiped her mouth and spat out the foul taste as she got to her feet, retrieving the broken datapad. She had little use for it but she might be able to remove its data later, which would be useful. Or at the least, not so wasteful. With that, she adjusted her sword and lightsaber, before taking to the trees to find and follow the Lady that arrived.

Ah, not a bad looking human she had to say. Definitely a meal to go with a fine wine. But, that was getting ahead of herself, first she had to toy with the thing. Made it tastier. Or revealed a better use, which suited her just as fine. As she followed her, he couldn't hide her presence, at least in the Force. Her only hope there was that her time here had let Bakura absorb it into the natural flow, to act as a camouflage of sorts. Though her force Cloak was helping, bending the lowlight around her to help her keep hidden. You could see a shimmer through her form if you looked hard enough, but without a bright light source behind her (as the trees blocked the sun) it wasn't as obvious as it could be.

She just had to wait for [member="Lady Kay"] to finally stop moving.

 

[Kay-Larr]

It was about twenty minutes before she reached her shelter. It was nothing more than a thick broad cloth connected with sticks and rope, with leaves and twigs interwoven to create a tent that allowed one to hide in plain sight. It was simple, yet it worked.

Kay slipped inside and put down her satchel, getting out what she needed to create a small fire and prepare some tea. As she stepped out of the tent, she looked around, scanning the area. The birds seemed to have gone a little quiet. Perhaps it was her own intrusion that was the cause. Hmm.

She sat down on the cool ground and began preparing her fire.

[member="Ariealla Vareldi"]

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

Ariealla smirked in her cloak, knowing she had to make an entrance. So she watched, waiting quietly for a perfect moment to appear there with the woman she had stalked this far. Ever a flair for dramatics, she reached out with the force in two directions, planning on making a dramatic entrance. With one hand, her right, she pulled a fallen log over to her position, using it in such a way that it rolled with the force. Even an apprentice could do this with ease. As the log reached her, she sat down on it, and shot a bolt of lightning from her left hand into the fireplace, creating a violent spark with that momentary burst.

Of course, it went without saying she dropped her cloak, looking around the campsite with a mischievous grin gracing her lips. "Quite the interesting campsite, I can't say I expected a Jedi so far out of safe space. Usually you cower behind your Republic until it shatters, and then hiding away from the Sith whilst they control the galaxy."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

The second [member="Ariealla Vareldi"] used the Force, Kay sensed it and jumped to her feet. When the lightning struck the fire pit, stepped back and looked to where it came from, spotting a woman that she had never seen before, now sitting on a log. Usually it was Ferus that would sneak up on her, but the Sith Lord had since left the One Sith and was trying to turn a new leaf.

It was obvious that Ariealla knew as little about her as Kay knew about her, given the words that she spoke. Maybe Bakura was soon going to lose it's neutrality.

"I am not in the Jedi Order. Nor am I a servant to the Republic. Might I ask who you are?" Most of the Sith that she had run across had either helped her to rescue slaves, or chatted philosophy and morality over tea. Perhaps this wouldn't be much different.

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"Me? Oh, just an old, old huntress out for her next meal. I've been starving really, it's been what, a few decades since I last had a light sider for dinner." being towards the end of her calmer period, Ariealla couldn't help but laugh at her joke. Bent forward, she tried to contain herself as best she could, one hand on her stomach and the other covering her mouth as a sickly sweet laugh escaped her lips. It was almost a lovely sound, but the cadence was... off. There wasn't really a better word than that.

While her fit of laugher slowly died, she straightened herself up, pulling her hands from where they had been. Yet even so a chilling and disturbed smile stretched her lips, as she checked her clock. A few minutes, she'd stalked Kay for the better part of the half hour. Soft giggles escaped her as she rummaged in her pockets, until she produced the bottle containing her medication. "I don't suppose you'd have a drink for me, would you?

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

A lightsider for dinner? With that laughter that soon followed, it was hard to tell what [member="Ariealla Vareldi"] 's true intentions were. She hadn't heard of Sith eating other sentient beings, but that didn't mean that it never happened.

At her request for a drink, Kay raised a brow slightly. Perhaps this would be like her other encounters. "I have some water. I was going to brew some tea, if you'd like some." She slowly sat down and poured some of the water from her water bladder into her cup. She couldn't help but be cautious around this one and waited to see if any of her types of drinks would suffice.

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"Oh whatever you have will do just fine. It's just to help these little annoyances go down." she shook the bottle of pills to highlight her point, as she unscrewed the cap. Oh sure she intended to kill and cook this girl up, or had at least come here with that intention, but seeing as she did not claim to be a Jedi she felt safer toying with the girl. Oh yes, the woman would bend and break her slowly, it was by far the best way to enjoy one's long, nay, infinite lifetime. Especially when grappling with your own mental demons, much more healthy.

She turned the bottle over and retrieved her dosage for the next 12 or so standard hours before capping the bottle again. She glanced up at [member="Lady Kay"] with that same grin, as she put the bottle down and drew the Sith Sword with her freed hand. She didn't strike out, instead she stuck the ancient blade in the ground in front of her. To make sitting more comfortable, of course. She held no fear in showing off her beautifully crafted weapon, especially as she couldn't see any possible weapon around Kay herself. Aside from her teapot she had to have, of course.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Better to let [member="Ariealla Vareldi"] take her meds sooner, rather than later. As she was about to approach, the sword was drawn out and put into the ground. Kay had never seen a Sith sword before. As she moved closer, she kept her gaze on the Sith's eyes, trying to figure out if her intentions were as bad as the level of her skin crawling right now. She held out the cup for her. "I can brew some tea for you as well. It'll just take a few minutes. It's Sapir tea. Ever tried it? It's warm and soothing, like a gentle hug."

Kay stepped back and slipped into her shelter. Though instead of coming out with a weapon as one might assume, she came out with another cup. She knelt down and began preparing the leaves, crumpling them inside of her cup before setting her kettle on the fire to boil. "Sorry, but I don't carry any creams or sugars. The tea doesn't need it." All pointless conversation, but she was trying to figure the Sith out.

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

Ariealla took the cup with the force, so she didn't have to lean forwards, and sort of plucked it out of the air. She popped her pill and downed the drink a bit, groaning lightly as it went down. It would be roughly a minute or two for the meds to actually enter her bloodstream, but even so knowing it was taken had the effect of letting her relax somewhat. She leaned back on the log (which would've been impossible with the sword sheathed as normal) as she watched the woman slip inside, and return with a second cup. Smart woman, had it been even a stick to beat her with she'd have stopped playing. As it was she guaranteed herself a *chance* to prove herself amusing.

"I can't say that I have, or haven't. Memories blur together past within decades." She continued speaking as if she were old, which of course she was. Yet you couldn't deny her body looked youthful and lively. She didn't at all fit the mold of being old. Of course, The force could make anyone look older or younger depending on how it affects the individual. "I have to say, I didn't expect a non-jedi to be walking around so bright as you. I didn't even have to try to see you."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just watched the cup as it floated in the air. Plenty did that to show off their command of the Force. But she had no need. She preferred to keep such things a secret. However as she had thought that she was alone, she didn't hide her signature, something that she vowed to correct in the future.

[member="Ariealla Vareldi"] then spoke of her being old, something that was not unheard of with Sith sorcery. Great. That was a bit out of her league, though she gave no hint of that thought as the water started to boil. Ariealla's next comment caught her attention though. "I was unaware that I could attract such attention. Lesson learned, thank you. What brought you to Bakura?"

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"On any world the lightside in you would be beyond unbearably bright. It's simply unnatural for most to be that light." She could finally begin to feel her head clearing, and the grin began to fade into a far more natural smile. Though her own signature was pulsating with shadow, as she turned her attention to her sword in the ground. Most Sith blades of her era were amplifiers to their own natural powers, though it didn't even take an expert to know her own blade lacked this. Still, you could see spots of reddened colour that wouldn't fade, the clear indication of her loved weapon's use.

"Oh me? Well, I'm just a huntress, as I said before. A simple huntress wishing to practice her craft." She sighed somewhat reminiscently as she ran her hand over the sword's hilt, particularly the crossguard and pommel. A huntress without a prey. Lightsiders were fun.. yes. But this wasn't a Jedi, it was a letdown. She had hoped her family had fed her information to hunt, say, a blademaster, or better yet a powerful and respected Jedi. Instead she got some force wielder associated with the light and not the Jedi. Sucked the fun right out of it.

Though she was going to milk this girl for every drop she could get. Then she'd play anyways, oh how she needed a spot of violence after sitting for so long. "I could ask the same of you, though. Surely you realize how dangerous this place can be, with the Sith so close."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay poured the hot water into her cup, and then set her kettle aside. It would be a few minutes before her tea was ready to drink. While she waited, she focused on her Force signature and then began shrinking it down until it was the size of a small tree nut.

[member="Ariealla Vareldi"] was different than the others. At some point the real game would start. More than likely, she was going to have to run. Already she was calculating which route that she would take to get to her ship that could provide the most difficult for the Sith. Yet, perhaps the quickest way would be best.

"I had often come here with no troubles from Sith. I had...assumed that this was an insignificant world to them. Once again you have proven me wrong. I will know better now." Commenor was just as close to Sith space, yet far more valuable. She'll have to be extra careful there too.

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"And I had assumed Korriban to be unimportant to the light. We can all be proven wrong. When it comes to the sith, freeing the galaxy is all important, regardless of how insignificant the world may be." Ariealla set the cup she had aside, stretching out her neck. She could see, or feel rather, [member="Lady Kay"] shrinking her signature in the force. It was a lovely trick, one she missed dearly. It was so hard to hide without it these days.

Then was the matter of how to chase the girl, when the real sport began. She hadnt tracked her the entire way, but she could guess the general direction of her exit strategy. Though if she had turned much, before she had found her, that would be a problem...

"Have you heard the tale of Darth Aria?" Her voice suddenly asked in the short silence her thoughts had left.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Freeing the Galaxy? Is that what the Sith said that they were doing? The enslave worlds, they don't free them. And Kay had been working hard to try to limit the amount of slavery. It'll never be fully eradicated, but at least she could help prevent it from becoming too big. She hated oppression and knew full well what it was like to be stuck under someone's boot. That was how her husband died. Through their efforts to try to regain their freedom from a Sith Lord.

She sipped her tea, now that it was ready and raised a brow at [member="Ariealla Vareldi"] 's question. "I can't say that I have, no. Who was she?"

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"She was a mighty Sith Lord from the time of Malgus, Satele Shan, and those legends. She took part of the Sacking of Corrucaunt, in particular she lead the assault on one of the Jedi Temples." She hummed in thought as she spoke, playing with the idea in her head of what was going on. She was telling her own story as a legend, she never quite got tired of the amusement. "She was said to be such a fearsome assassin she could cut Jedi off from the Force, before toying with them, killing them slowly with lightning, choking them, the usual fare."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay listened to the tale being spun and kept her expression simple, as though she was interested in what she was hearing. However, internally she was saddened. Though she wasn't alive for it, the stories told about those events were never happy ones. But that's the way it goes when stories are told of losing so many people.

She had another sip of her tea, yet held in in her mouth as [member="Ariealla Vareldi"] spoke of cutting one off from the Force. Though Kay liked to keep her own Force use a secret, she never wanted such a gift to be taken away from her. The Grand Master for the Republic gave her that option, but she turned it down. "Cutting them off from the Force? I wouldn't wish that upon my own worst enemy..."

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"Oh ahe never actually did. It was an old trick, think of it as a jedi mind trick mastered beyond any reasonable need. Ahe could convince Jedi, without speaking, that they suddenly had no connection to the Force. It was one of her most beloved abilities, she was known for it. That, and her cloak of course."

She laughed lightly, picking up the cup from before and sipping the water in it. "Stories about her are quite amusing. Some depict a crazed warrior, an assassin who took joy in ripping Jedi limb from limb. Most of those are Jedi records too, what few survive, or are telling tales of major Sith offenses. Some depict a scholar with the galaxy's largest collection of holocrons and knowledge ever amassed by a single person.

Guess who wrote those." she of course meant only a Sith had ever written about this. It was fair enough, it was rare for Jedi to see her controlled self.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay tapped her nose, indicating that she was aware of who could have written the tales. History is written by the blood of those that might remember it. The victors tended to direct the narratives.

Sith mind tricks. They were far worse than the Jedi ones. Though Kay had never had experienced it herself, she did get some training in protecting herself from them while she was at the Jedi Enclave.

"Whatever happened to her? Was she killed by another Sith Lord?" She sipped her tea, quite curious to know.

[member="Ariealla Vareldi"]