Private The Road To Nowhere

[Arcturus Dinn]

Where once lay just an alley between rows of buildings jutting up through the vast Station, a man appeared quite suddenly. He stepped through a veil of nothingness, and reached out to the metal wall on his left for support. It took him a moment to stabilize himself once more, for his head to cease spinning, and then he glanced up and surveyed his surroundings. "At least it's not another tomb" he remarked to himself, as he brushed residual grains of sand from his being and stretched his back. Interdimensional travel wasn't always a walk in the park, and for some reason his latest journey through the door left him feeling achy and unable to ground himself. Something about the floor beneath his feet felt... off.​

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He couldn't put his finger on precisely what that was, though.​

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Instead he set the thought aside and stepped out from the alley as though he'd simply walked through it, and found himself stood within what looked to be an entertainment sector on an ecumenopolis world, bright lights and catchy songs vying for his attention from many storefronts. It had to be an ecumenopolis, he decided, because looking up he could see no sky. Likely on the lower levels of some place, then. Well, when in Alderaan did one not make the most of it?​

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Arcturus stepped toward a bar, and began to fish around in one of his many pouches for some credits. A drink or two wouldn't hurt, then he could find his way to the spaceport and figure out where exactly here was.​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

Willow and Ivy didn't spend all their time in the Atrium on Damascus Station. On the contrary they liked to wander the station itself. Guards tended to keep a watchful eye on them, following them wherever they went as though they were royalty, even though they weren't. Unlike their time spent in service of the warlords and the Hutts, this time the guards were just to watch over them instead of preventing them from escape.

"Do you see it, Ivy?"

"Oh yes! But...what it is, I don't know."

"The colours are....strange..."

"Reds, greens and blacks...woven like...lace."

"Yes, much different than the other strands..."

"Shall we follow it and see where it leads?"

Willow turned her head to Ivy and grinned as she wrapped her arm around her waist, causing Ivy to mirror the movement. "Yes we shall."

Smiling the siamese twins continued down the corridor, following the strange web in the Force that caught their attention. People tended to give them a wide berth and not just because of their guards, but because of who they were. Whispers of the Prophets being outside seemed to follow them like a wave. The twins held a lot of influence on the Station, except among those that hated and distrusted the Navis. Fortunately the numbers of those people that lived on the station were small.

It wasn't long before they had arrived at the bar where Arcturus Dinn sat. It was clear to the twins that the strangely-coloured web was coming from him. Without further ado, Willow and Ivy approached, saddling themselves onto two stools next to him. They didn't even need to ask for a drink as the bartender was quick to get them their usual; which were fruity concoctions that glowed in the light.

"Hello."

"Are you new?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The bar was nice enough, certainly cleaner than some he'd spent time in during his wayward bender across the Corellian Run. Settling himself into a seat at the bar, he glanced this way and that and then ordered a whiskey on the rocks when prompted into making a choice by the bartender. It had been some time since he'd last drank, so he went with a single to ease himself back into it. No doubt the ice would help to mellow it out.​

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He didn't immediately drink it as he passed the credits over and took the glass in hand. Instead he swirled the bronze-honeyed liquid in its glass and listened to the gentle clinking of the single large ice cube taking up the majority of the volume.​

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Arcturus sensed the arrival of two individuals in the bar, but he didn't immediately turn to them nor expect them to approach him. After all, why would he? He was a nobody who had just popped up on world, there was no cause for him to be taken note of.​

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And yet, all the same, they sat beside him and spoke connecting sentences as though they were one entity. He turned his head toward them, watching as their drinks were set down, and lightly inclined his head.​

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"Hello" he responded, as he pondered the question he'd been posed. "That depends... Which world is this again?"​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

The twins couldn't help but giggle. Arcturus Dinn didn't appear as though he had too many drinks. And yet he was quite confused as to his own whereabouts. Perhaps he had fallen asleep on a transport and didn't even see where it was that he was arriving to before the transport had docked.

"You're not on a planet."

"You are in Damascus Station. It does house over a billion people, so supposidly it can be mistaken for a world."

"We haven't been to many worlds or know much about them to know for certain."

They took their drinks in hand, doing their best to not act in unison as that tended to freak some people out when they did. After having a sip each they spoke up again.

"I'm Willow and this is my sister, Ivy."

"We're former...advisors..to Broka the Hutt."

"But now we're the Prophets for the Navis."

"What's your name?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Their giggles caught him a little bit off guard, though it wasn't an unpleasant sound nor did it seem malicious in intent. He fast understood why he'd caused them humour though, and his eyes widened a little in response.​

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"First a tomb, now a station..." He couldn't help but shake his head as he mumbled softly to himself. Then he raised the volume of his voice a touch, intending to communicate back with the girls rather than sit and mutter to himself.​

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"Oh, you're missing out then," he stated when they spoke of not really seeing much in the way of planets, "There are veritable wonders to behold out there in the Galaxy, marvels to be sure."​

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They gave their names, and he could tell from it and the way they were dressed and looked in general that they were twins. "Willow, and Ivy, pleased to meet your acquaintances..." Advisors to a Hutt, turned Prophets? Interesting... Very interesting. "Are you the real deal?" he asked, tilting his head a little to the left as he regarded them. The Galaxy was filled with charlatans after all.​

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As for his name... "Arcturus" he said with an inclination of his head. Since they were mixing titles, he figured why not add a little... flare. "Otherwise known as Sandman." He grinned, it wasn't often that he got to fling that title around anymore. Mostly it was resigned to use in the Nether.​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

"We prefer to be with the Angels than to be on the ground."

"Oh yes! Up here we don't have to worry about enemies seeking conquest."

Of course by Angels the twins didn't mean spiritual beings, but the ships that came and went on the station. Their whole Navis Sacra religion was based on the sacredness of the flying vessels. Afterall it was by such an Angel that they were rescued from the remnants of Broka's forces and gained their freedom.

To Arcturus Dinn 's question as to them being the real deal, the twins nodded their heads. "Our gifts are real. The webs of the Force show us many things when we follow the strands."

"Before Broka found us, other warlords used us to help them gain power, treating us very badly; even starving us."

"Broka discovered us and had the warlords executed. He kept us safe and we had a huge room in his Palace."

"But always we were under guard, and restricted on many things."

"He was good to us though, never cruel."

"But then he disappeared....and so too went his protection."

Willow smiled brightly. "Then the Angels came and brought us here. And we rewarded our heroes by bonding them with souls."

"And with that bonding they become stronger and more equipped to tackle anything."

The twins made no move to touch Arcturus yet. Given how his strands in the Force were entirely different from anyone else on the station, the pair were a little more cautious.

"The Sandman? Do you come from a desert world too?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

They didn't want to experience the Galaxy? Want to feel the grass beneath their toes, or the wind in their hair? Arcturus seemed slightly puzzled by that revelation, but ultimately knew it was not his decision to make. They had autonomy, and from the looks of it the means to do as they pleased, who was he to try and direct their lives?​

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"Which worlds have you seen?" he inquired instead, curious if it simply came down to a bad track record insofar as planets were concerned.​

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Talks turned to their previous employers and all that they'd done for them, and Arcturus hummed softly. "Webs... Do you view the Force tangibly then? Does it alter your perception?" He thought back to Iris, through whose eyes he'd been able to see a world ignited in colour. It wasn't unheard of for it to show itself to people in different ways... "Can I.. Can I see?"​

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Looking at the world through the eyes of another was nothing new for him. To see what they saw, feel what they felt, a pure form of empathy when he chose to draw upon it.​

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Their query made him chuckle. "No, I come from a world of factories and work" he explained, "Though I'd argue I was, in a way, reborn in the sandstorms of the Whisperstorm... I work with sand, it's so easily overlooked yet plentiful. Each grain holds great potential, if you know how to use it."​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

"We have been to the Hutt worlds."

"We have heard of some worlds that are vastly different."

"We have seen them in our visions sometimes, but out here is where we belong."

"Oh yes! We don't need to worry about invading armies as much as planets do. It's much more peaceful here." That wasn't to say that they didn't have their own threats. There were Mandalorians that at times poked around for the whereabouts of the station's Beskarr reserves. And then there were the new threat that seemed to be the opposite of everything that the Navis were. And they were hidden from the Force which made it even harder to predict their movements.

The twins tilted their heads to the side in curiosity as Arcturus Dinn asked to see what they saw. "Are you gifted as we are?"

"Are you a seer too?" The man had to be gifted in some respect, much like Kyrel Ren . Only this man seemed less a monster and instead more of something else. To say that the twins were intrigued by him was an understatement.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Hutt worlds. Well that explained it, didn't it? They weren't exactly the nicest of planets for the most part. Sandy or smoggy, overpopulated or remote. Not exactly places that Arcturus liked to visit either. "There are worlds filled with water" he said, "So serene and beautiful..." Was it safer than a moving home? No, probably not. "Or ones filled with plants and animals, life and the Force everywhere..."​

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He couldn't help but feel a little melancholy on their behalf. Still they didn't seem bothered by it, and if their visions were true then maybe they really could experience what the Galaxy had to offer without leaving home.​

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An intriguing thought.​

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Their question had him softly smiling. "Not exactly" he explained, "But... I am able to see through the eyes of another, view the Galaxy as they see it. I've done it before... It requires contact, though."​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

Willow and Ivy smiled knowing smiles after having another sip of their drinks, listening to Arcturus Dinn talk about the different types of worlds. "We have plants and some aninals in the Atrium here."

"Oh yes! And it's really nice. There's a stream that we play in too."

"And the mud is so soft when it squishes between our toes."

"You should try it!"

To his suggestion of touching them in order to see what they saw, the twins looked at eachother before returning their gaze to him. "Through contact with items and people, it is how we see things about them."

"That is our gift. But here is not the place for it."

"Would you like to visit the Atrium and attempt it there?"

"Oh yes! The Navis call it our Sacred Place. It's safe there."

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

They spoke of an atrium brimming with life, and Arcturus found his intrigue mounting in response. It sounded odd, and whimsical, and very much the kind of place he'd enjoy exploring.​

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"I'd like that" he said, when they suggested they move their conversation there. Gesturing over the bartender, he settled not only his tab (as small as it was) but also that of the twins. If indeed they had a tab, they seemed like station royalty in truth so maybe theirs were on the house. Either way, Arcturus offered to pay.​

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It was also interesting to know that they could also deduce much via touch. Tactile necessity wasn't all that common when it came to the Force, and Arcturus knew deep down that if he really, truly tried he could probably do it without, but the touch was important to him, it solidified the connection for one, and it also meant that permission had to be given in order to make use of it.​

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He might have been a Sith, but there were lines he did not cross.​

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"By all means, ladies, lead on."​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

Indeed both Willow and Ivy had no tab to pay. Everything that they had wanted on the station they could have without payment. Now that the Navis were no longer seen as some extremist religious cult, the businesses were more than willing to cater to the twins. Of course there were other ways that Willow and Ivy paid for things, but it was moreso in helping others with their gifts. It was an even trade in their eyes, and something that they didn't mind at all in doing.

The twins were pleased that Arcturus Dinn had agreed to visit the Atrium with them. And as they left the bar and headed down one of the coridors, it may be then that he'd notice that they were attached at the hip and just below their shoulder blades from glimpses of how their clothing covered them and reacted to their movements.

"Have you heard of the Navis Sacra?"

"Oh yes, we'd love to hear if word of us has spread elsewhere!"

"Some Jedi know of us, and the Brotherhood as well."

"Oh yes! We have safe passage in their space if we need it. Isn't that wonderful?"

Willow and Ivy knew that such permissions wouldn't last, however. It was always just a matter of time, especially when there were changes in leadership. But they were glad for them all the same. Only in Hutt space did they dare not venture.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus still left a tip so as to somewhat cover the cost of the girls' drinks, and then accompanied them as they exited the bar itself and headed down a corridor toward the atrium. His head tilted ever so slightly to one side as he observed their attached state, intrigued to say the least. All the same he didn't speak on it, just let the thoughts bubble up and ruminate; he looked away soon after, there was no sense in staring.​

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"I'm afraid I haven't" he stated, when asked whether he'd heard of their sect, "though that doesn't mean much, I haven't spent much time in the waking world as of late."​

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Jedi, and the Brotherhood... A strange mix of folks willing to harbour them, though he reckoned that meant they were up in the Unknown Regions, or there abouts. Near the Maw and the GA. Curious. Definitely not somewhere he'd ever really had cause to be before.​

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His hand reached for the pouch of pebbles on his belt, and he glanced over them again, saw the way in which their clothes were formed. "Forgive me if it's too bold of me to ask, but... Is it difficult to change?" Arcturus hummed lightly, then pulled out one of the pebbles from the pouch and turned it over in his hand. "I might be able to offer an easier method, if so..."​

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With the Force briefly thrumming through him, Arcturus focused on the pebble and felt the air tingle softly. A soft smoke formed around him, and the clothes he'd been wearing fell away to reveal a new, clean set. Previously he'd been adorned in attire he typically wore in his Workshop, hardy and lightweight to keep the heat from suffocating him, but now he wore a tailored suit and a buttoned down shirt.​

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Hopefully it wouldn't freak them out.​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

"Haven't been in the waking world...?"

"Oh dear, have you been asleep?"

The twins imagined him in a coma. Or perhaps he was a dreamer and was gifted like they were, but Arcturus Dinn gained access to it differently than they did. Regardless they certainly didn't wish to be stuck in the dream world. Especially as their dreams at times descended into nightmares...

Willow and Ivy stopped as Arcturus asked about their physical state. It wasn't uncommon for them and they clearly weren't offended.

"Our clothing is made special for us."

"And we do get help if we need it."

However as his clothing changed in such a unique way, Willow and Ivy's jaws dropped in awe, which was quickly followed by claps of joy as though they had just watched a stage show.

"That was amazing!"

"Are you a magician?"

"You must show us more! Come on! We're nearly there!"

The twins quickened their pace, eager to show Arcturus the Atrium that they loved so much. As the doors opened they rushed in, touching the leaves of the trees as they led him to their own private suite.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Asleep. That was certainly a novel way of looking at it, wasn't it? He chuckled lightly, and shook his head. "Something like that" he retorted, picking up a little on their discomfort at the thought of being stuck in a dreamlike state. "More akin to walking in an adjacent realm." ​

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He shrugged his shoulders. Not everyone knew that the Netherworld was a real, tangible place that could be accessed by those crazy enough to walk through the veil, and those that did usually felt unnerved and offput by it. Arcturus wasn't looking to cause any problems here, if anything he remained solely because the twins intrigued him. No, the last thing he wanted was to scare them off with talks of transcending death.​

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They seemed more than pleased by his show of, as they put it, magic. ​

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"A magician? Certainly not, though if I were I'd no doubt be called a charlatan. I work through the Force, ladies, imbue it into otherwise mundane items. I can assist you with similar, should you wish."​

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He placed his hand into the pouch and pulled out the various different stones, each with its own unique symbol etched into the crystalline surface. "Each pertains to a different outfit, stored... elsewhere. I feel something similar could be of use to you..."​

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It would make dressing and undressing a much faster process if nothing else. Plus, it was nice and showy.​

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Soon they were within the atrium, and Arcturus had to admit to being rather amazed by what he saw. "Woah..." It was beautiful, truly it was. "I hardly feel as though I'm on a station at all. This is wonderful..."​

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Willow & Ivy ​

 

[Willow & Ivy]

Their eyebrows lifted as Arcturus Dinn spoke of walking in a different real. They too had been in an alternate universe. Or rather Willow was. It was the most sperated that the twins had ever been, unable to see eachother with the naked eye, but still connected and unmoved from their spot. It was a surreal and draining experience on the pair.

Wrapping their inner arms around eachother's waists, the twins looked to the stones curiously.

"What a unique idea!"

"Oh yes! What happens to the clothing afterwards? Do you have a magical closet?"

And as their conversation was interupted by the sight of the Atrium, Willow and Ivy grinned broadly. "This is where we spend most of our time."

"The Navi gave it more life than what was in here before."

The sounds of birds, insects and streams could be heard. The Atrium was it's own biodome filled with everything but predators. The very air within it was vibrant and peaceful.