Time to Face What You Have Always Been (Tarissa)

[Cora Passek]

Cora smiled and nodded, "Yep. He's been a good companion over the years. Also generally keeps people off my ship, unless they are extra bold. And then," Cora paused and shrugged, "Fluffy gets a lovely treat."

She frowned, the sadness almost tangible for just a fraction of a second "Not all are terrible. There's a few, very few rare good ones out there." Zak had been one of those. However, he was gone now and gone thanks to her own mistakes. "But that's just my past." Perhaps tonight she'd light a candle for him as she often did. The blonde cared a lot more than she showed when it came to her comrades, and fallen brothers and sisters in this galaxy. Everyone she remembered in her own way, honored in her own way.

Cora watched the exchange as Naamah took the bone and tossed it for her beloved Fluffy. Instantly the creature bounded off to snatch the bone. It took a moment but he brought it right back to Namaah, looking expectantly for her to throw it again.

As he did this, Cora stepped around them and closed the ramp to the ship behind them, sealing it tightly. "He's never going to stop bringing it to you to throw now, just so you know." She said with a smirk as she started to the cockpit.

"Just going to get us up and going. The trip shouldn't be all that long." With that she finally sat down in the pilot's seat and started to run through the pre-flight checklist. Once satisfied that all was in order Cora eased the ship out of the starport and out into open space. Then it was a few simple commands entered into the nav computer, setting them off on a series of jumps through hyperspace to Dromund Kaas.

Then she propped her feet up on the console, and pulled out the datapad to skim through the information she still had from the old Sith Empire days. Information she'd combed through millions of times, trying to piece it together and force it to make some sort of sense. And still, she'd never found any explanation that fit everything.

"Make yourself at home." She said over her shoulder to Livia. "Nothing's locked up except the armory and my bedroom. The galley, just grab whatever if you are hungry. I don't mind. There's a couple extra bedrooms, so just pick one and relax for a bit."

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


Naamah thoroughly failed at emphasising with, well, people. But for some reason the slightly hyper Nexu was able to make her smile. Since he was such a sweetheart, she tossed the bone again and he quickly ran off to fetch it once more. "Ok. I'll be around," she said laconically to Cora. Not because she was not interested in what the blonde said. Far from it. She simply was not good at this...talking thing. Relax? She did not know how to do that, even though she probably ought to.


So what she did instead was get her sore muscles back into gear. They had sort of given up the ghost thanks to the pummelling the Priestess gave her. So what followed was a series of simple workouts to awaken her body: push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, squats and various other exercies to get her going again. After showering quickly and grabbing some crackers, she went packed out her guns and began to obsessively clean them. Why? It was relaxing. Besides, some had collected dust. Fluffy came over with his bone, which he'd done a few times, and so she petted the big feline.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora gave a nod and glanced back as Naamah headed off. Fluffy was quick to follow with the bone in his mouth, eagerly hoping she'd throw it again. He did purr loudly and nuzzle at Naamah when she petted him. He'd made a new friend! And he totally was going to take advantage of this. After all, the guest rooms did have extra comfy beds and he was so not above stealing nearly all of a bed for himself, pushing any human out of it and onto the floor. Cora personally experienced this frequently, much to her annoyance.

For her part she spent the time reading mostly, until she dozed off in the captain's chair. Sleep was always something she needed more of, especially when she got so little of it these days. She still slept restlessly, almost nervously as if waiting for Vahri to enter her thoughts and guide her dreams to persuade her into things she didn't want to do, turning her into the perfect instrument for him to use. Sleeping lightly the last shift out of hyperspace woke her from her dreamless sleep.

Sighing, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up slowly. Seeing Dromund Kaas now in the viewport, forced her stomach to twist int knots. It had been far too long since she'd last walked here. And frankly she would have liked to avoid the place, considering how many of her years had been spent on the planet. Trouble was bound to be everywhere. Criminals and any remaining Sith alike. Unfortunately for her, she'd made quite the list of enemies over the years.

Slowly she wandered back to find her partner in crime. "Livia?" She asked as she looked for the woman. "We'll be landing soon, so .... might as well head to the armory and find anything you need. Though, stealth is key. We don't want to be noticed, or remembered here." With any luck the remaining people here now, would have forgotten about any of her misdeeds in the past.

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


At some point during their trip through hyperspace, Naamah had fallen asleep at her work station. Conveniently, Fluffy had been so nice to let her tired body snuggle up against his. Her sleep had not been peaceful. She tossed and turned many times, muttering incoherently. However, when the jerked upon leaving the blue tunnel, her eyes fluttered open. The big feline licked across her face before running towards Cora like an overeager puppy. A puppy that could easily tear a human apart with his sharp claws and teeth.


The Clawdite rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got up. Fortunately she'd managed to maintain her form. "I'll get ready," she said laconically. The brief moment of levity had passed, she was back to her usual self. Before them lay the blasted, accursed orb that was Dromund Kaas. Even so far away, she could feel the evil aura that engulfed this world. This world was cursed, coated in the blood of millions and haunted by their ghosts. Nothing good had ever come from it.


In other words, the perfect place for her. She cast these thoughts aside and quickly gathered her gear. Shatterpistol, SMG, a couple knives, rope, hold out bolter, taser, and naturally her lightsabre. a cut-down disruptor pistol completed the arsenal. The fact that disruptors were illegal on most planets did not faze her at all.

 

[Cora Passek]

While Livia got ready, Cora headed back to the cockpit to slowly bring the ship into the atmosphere below. Flying over what little landmarks left, Cora was surprised to see how little was left of the world below. Clearly the Mandos had done a decent job of wiping most of the places and things Cora had enjoyed about the world.

She sighed and shook her head as she finally brought the ship down to rest on the brutally scarred and torn up planet. It was barely recognizable from what Cora once knew. There was only a single settlement left, Hythe Park, within Kaas City and when Cora had lived here it was nothing but a slum. She had her doubts that had changed much since the Mandos had gone all scorched earth on Kaas as a whole.

After she reached forward and flipped a few switches to shut the ship down. She sighed one more time, This isn't the home you left, you know that, right? Yes .... It's the same world, only more dangerous. And it certainly is not home. Cora told herself, not that she needed the reminder given what she could see through the view-port.

Once the ship lightly touched down, having received the proper clearances, Cora headed for the armory, to gather what she believed she'd need for this journey. Her weapon choices were simple, a blaster, a holdout bolter that she'd been gifted by Siobhan, a vibroblade, and she lastly twisted her hair into a loose bun, pinning it with what just seemed to be an ordinary decorative hair pin. Be that as it may, it was also good for stabbing people when in a bind. And one could never be too careful these days.

Finally she wandered out of the armory and headed off to find Fluffy and Livia. Her first stop was in the galley, to pull a piece of meat out for her Nexu. After all, he'd only be horribly upset with her if he went hungry while she was out gallivanting around Dromund Kaas. Her next stop was Livia's room. She knocked lightly, "Livia, you ready?" She asked as she watched Fluffy dart past her on the way to the new fresh food he smelled wafting through the ship.

A part of her couldn't help but feel uneasy. There was something somewhere that already didn't feel quite right. She just couldn't place her finger on what it was exactly. And for her part, Cora wasn't quite aware of the warning system the force provided and what each subtle sensation and feeling meant. In this case, her old home .... While she hadn't been here in some years, there had been a point where she'd come back to do a criminal job or two. And well, those didn't exactly end well, or leave her with many friends at the end of the day.

"Last I recall, what we've landed near is Hythe Park. It's a slum. Rat hole really." Just the kind of place I used to frequent, not that she needs to know that. "After the Mandos mucked up the place, it was about all that was left standing. At least that is what I've heard. I haven't been back since they tore things up. Still figure there's a person or two floating around that I know. I don't really see any problems, as long as we keep our heads down." She sighed quietly, "There's an old bar, by the name of Ion Sandbox. It's the place really, if one is looking for goods, services, intelligence, people, that sort of thing. Seems as good a place as any to start. Unless you have any thoughts?"

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


Naamah's attire was simple. Practical black army boots, thick black coat, top and dark pants. The last time she'd been here, Kaas was bloody cold. "I was here after a bunch of aliens tried to go all Freedom Day on it," she remarked in response to Cora's elaboration about how crapsack Dromund Kaas was these days. The aforementioned xenos had been a terribly bizarre lot.


There were orbital stations similar to Citadel Station over Telos, which housed refugees, but despite reconstruction efforts Kaas City was still a hellhole. Perhaps if the Silver Jedi took more of an interest in helping people, that might have changed. But their leadership was unimaginative and myopic. At least that's what Naamah thought. The Jedi blew in and blew out like the monsoon. It was all storm and dramatic noise, but left the people to fend for themselves once it had passed.


She shrugged when Cora mentioned the bar. "Old bar filled with scum who'd just as soon sell you out as give you info? Sounds like cozy home," she wasn't even joking or making a smartarse comment. "Coalition's got boots on the ground, but their Jedi are stupid enough to drink tea with Sith in the middle of a battlefield, so I doubt they'll bother us. Let's go." She got up and walked past the blonde.


As soon as the landing ramp lowered with a hiss, the cool, corrupted air of Kaas greeted them. As far as the naked eye could see, a blasted, darkside wasteland lay before them. Kaas City, once the jewel of the Empire, had been reduced to a shell of its former self. The Dark Side permeated everything, the aura engulfing the city was like of a beaten, mangled beast that could not find peace. Snow crunched beneath her boots, her breath frosted around her. Yet in the face of all misery, Naamah felt...numb. It was safer that way. She could not be hurt if she did not feel.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora shrugged, "Old shabby bars, used to be my office. The same kinds of people exist in little bars like this across the galaxy. At least that much is predictable." With that she started down the boarding rampy, "They shouldn't bother us, no. But these days with my luck, one can never be sure."

The darkside of the force was almost tangible, even to someone like Cora that hadn't completely adjusted to her newfound abilities. Her feelings of unease seemed to grow as they started off into what was left of the once great sith empire. After wandering down a couple of streets, she took a turn down a side alley. At the end of it was a set of stairs that led down into the bar.

"There's no telling what the place will be like, I only heard rumors of this place when I was younger. Still, it seems a good place to start. I figure we'll find a few old friends maybe. Or at least I hope. If not greasing palms to get the answers I need shouldn't be too much of an issue." She whispered back as she descended the stairs and into the rather shabby looking bar, desperately in need of repair. "Be ready for anything." She said quietly as she opened the door to the establishment, took a deep breath and crossed the threshold into the seedy bar where all sorts of darker types were mingling. This wasn't the kind of place for Jedi, or anyone on the right side of the law. No, this was for the criminal scum of the galaxy, Sith and Mundane alike.

Casually she walked to the bar, her eyes scanning the room first for exits, and then to the patrons to see if she could spot anyone familiar to her. Glancing to the barkeep she motioned him over to her. "Single malt whiskey." She requested, laying her coin down. That was the kind of drink that when ordered, generally said cross me and I'll make your life a living hell.

From the corner of her eye, she caught a seemingly familiar patron in the far corner, mostly obscured by shadows. This patron had gotten her attention, though she didn't turn to actually get a good look. Right now, she didn't want to draw any attention to herself or Naamah. For the moment, she wanted to blend in and get an idea of how the place worked before she came in smashing it all up in seeking her answers.

Once her drink arrived she glanced to Naamah, "Three exits." She whispered extremely low, just for the two of them to share. With subtle movements of her eyes she indicated where they were. Through the kitchen, the front windows, and push came to shove she knew there would be a way out through the VIP area. "Thus far, only one person seems any bit familiar. The guy in the dark corner over there. I know him, from somewhere, just can't place it." Her voice was still low, doing her best not to be overheard as she took a sip from her glass and set it back down on the counter, toying with the rim of it as she did so. "Makes him as good as any to have a chat with. But not now. I'd like to watch things for a little longer, to see who else work with him. And to learn what we are up against."

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


"Barkeep has a sawn-off scattergun. Probably loaded with buckshot. That bulge in the Rodian's pants isn't there because he likes your arse," Naamah said quietly, voice barely rising above a whisper. The dim light in the bar made her pale skin and dark hair appear even more eerie. Her blue eyes, pale from Dark Side corruption and Bando Gora narcotics, glowed faintly.


"Zabrak guy in the booth on the right corner is staring at us. He's a Forcer, and the Sith tats are the real deal, but those gauntlets are crap. His jacket is terentatek leather. That'll stop direct Force powers, but not a slug."


How did she know any of this? Well, this writer felt like applying the Awesomeness by Analysis trope. "And that holocron the woman in black is trying to pawn off is definitely not ancient." Very briefly her focus fell upon the patron Cora had pointed out earlier. However, she did not stare or actually turn around to get a good look at him. Last thing they needed was to attract unnecessary attention. The seedy bar was a dangerous place, populated by all sorts of scum and cutthroats. Here the dregs of society congregated. The air was thick with smoke, spice, the smell of dried blood, sweat and poor body hygiene. Her former self would have felt a perverse delight in twisting the patrons' minds and turning them against one another. All it would take was a little push and the entire bar would go down in flames.


The barkeeper came back with their drinks. "There you go. Don't cause trouble. You break somethin', you pay for it. Capiche?" he grunted in a gruff tone that gave the impression he considered common courtesy an insult. He slammed both of their whiskey glasses onto the table, then wandered off again. Naamah looked cold and indifferent, as could be expected, picked up the stained glass and took a sip from her malt whiskey. A scuffle had broken out in the background after a game of pazaak left some patrons unsatisfied. The Clawdite sipped her drink while they beat the crap out of one another, before a bouncer stepped in and tossed two of them out.

 

[Cora Passek]

One had to be careful in bars like this, a single look, a glance could mean the difference between enemy, or friendly, or just someone you plain didn't want to feth with. A second too long of eye contact, you became a threat. Avoiding eye contact too much and you'd be set out as the weakling, easy prey for the bigger dogs in the room. Here everyone was armed to some degree. So one had to walk a fine line to get what they needed. One had to find some sort of happy medium to stay alive.

Cora nodded, "Some things never change around here." A sigh followed as she slowly, subtly took in the situation, the amount of possible combatants they'd have to deal with if a fight got started in here. And knowing her luck that was quite likely.

The Zabrak in the corner, made Cora shudder internally. Something about him felt beyond wrong, yet at the same time there was a vague and distant familiarity that she could almost piece together but not quite. Somehow along the way this one she might have crossed paths with, or perhaps knew her family. "The forcer is making me nervous." She whispered oh, so quietly, trying to avoid being overheard by anyone at all. "Something ain't quite right there. I just, I can't place my finger on it. I feel like I should know him, but for the life of me I can't remember."

Alas Cora had made far too many enemies over the years, and few too many friends. With the kind of luck she had, could he have been someone she crossed ages ago but failed to recall. Who knew. Hopefully he'd stay back and out of the way for the moment. "If he really is an old acquaintance, I've no doubt he'll make himself known. But I certainly hope he ain't someone I've ever known and my gut feeling is just plain wrong. Oh, how nice that would be." Her voice was still quiet.

She only stopped speaking entirely as the barkeep wandered back over to them to deliver their drinks. She gave a nod to him, and laid her coins, a large tip on the counter to ease over any tensions that there might be, and make him slightly pliable to her next question. Without looking back over her shoulder, she smirked slightly, "I got a question, if you got the time."

The man looked at the coins she'd laid down, and back to her seemingly satisfied with her payment. "Ask it." He said gruffly.

"The man in the back corner, what's his story?"

"Not sure you want to know entirely, sweetie."

"Don't call me sweetie again, unless you'd like to wear your ass for a hat."

The barkeep seemed somewhat taken aback by her response.

"So, what's his deal?" Cora asked again, her tone much sharper, clearly irritated.

"The guy's an infochant. Deals in all sorts of intel, and other less than legal trades as most infochants do." He gave a slight shrug, "Frankly, I haven't wanted to cross paths with the guy and mostly have left him be. About all I know is he's been on Dromund Kaas for ages, and goes by the name of the Bookkeeper. Anything more than that, I can't tell ya lady."

Cora seemed at least a little satisfied with the answer. "Yeah, I know of the guy. Quite the reputations with that one." The Bookkeeper she'd heard of in her youth. He traded in information, drugs, smuggling jobs, and weapons. Just about everything a criminal could have their paws involved in.
He was someone she remembered her father talking about rather frustrated late one night. The man had been tied in so deep, it was almost impossible to touch him. At that time he was a large obstacle in the way of one of her father's projects. The Bookkeeper had built himself a lovely little empire of his own, ensuring that he would always be safe and able to operate his trade. After all, he was even useful to Imperial Agents from time to time when things got rough. The man wasn't above selling anyone out, so long as the price was right.

With the drink in hand, she hoped the only drink she'd have today. With some manner of her strength would hold and she'd not dive back into the nearest bottle. No, she needed her mind clear for this. When the man finally walked away, Cora too turned to watch the scene unfold. She shook her head as the bouncer tossed the pair of them out the door. Some things really don't change at all.

"The Forcer I think may end up being a problem." That was just a gut feeling Cora had at the moment.

She then shook her head, and bit at her lip for a moment. "So, shall we take the direct approach and got share the table with The Bookkeeper? Or you have a more in direct idea?" Personally Cora was all for the direct approach. She had a tendency to be more bold with things like this. It sometimes paid off to be a little aggressive and upfront rather than playing the usual game. It got peoples' attention. Be it good, or bad attention. Still, it was a risky move.

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


The Zabrak could become a problem. He was a Force-user and Naamah suspected he might be Sith. "Horn guy is trying to probe my mind," she remarked, sounding more than a little annoyed when the horned, tattooed alien tried to dig into her thoughts. Unfortunately for him, basic mental protection was a skill any Inquisitor learned.


He had strength and Naamah figured she'd be at a big disadvantage in a straight-up fight, but he was no Mirien Valdier. Then again, that was an unfair comparison since the Ice Queen could always read her like a book. Naamah was playing pazaak in her head. It was tempting to ambush the alien, tie him up and find out what he wanted to know, but it seemed they had an info-chant to question.


"A lot of eyes watching us here. Horn guy's interested in us, for whatever reason. If you want to chit-chat with the Bookkeeper, you could slip him a note with a meeting place. On the bottom of a glass, a napkin or something like that."

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora frowned, her eyes creasing slightly at the corners. Nothing irritated more than a Force User messing around in someone else's head. One hand that had been resting against her thigh, crumpled the fabric of her pants tightly as she drew her fingers into a fist. She'd had her head messed with a few too many times over the years, with Vahri and others. "He better back off unless he'd like my fist in his face." She grumbled, but kept her voice just barely above a whisper as not to be heard. Cora clearly was not okay with this development. With a deep breath in, and slowly she let it out her body relaxing and with it her fist. Control was something she had to maintain here. Otherwise things could get nasty and fast.

"Yeah ..... to be honest, I really don't want to find out why exactly he is." She paused a moment, "Maybe I killed his buddy. Too many events like that have happened for me to keep track of enemies that I might have made along the way."

Her lips twisted as she chewed on her bottom lip, thinking for a moment. Talking to the Bookkeeper was not without risk. Talking to him meant exposing herself and who she was to potentially every last enemy she had on Dromund Kaas and beyond. That was a bad deal. Unfortunately he was likely the only person who would have the kind of information she wanted. And he'd know that. He'd know that and use it to garner some favor or extraordianary price from her. "Well, there's no way this isn't going to suck." She said quietly. "It's a risky move. But it's unlikely for us to just stumble upon some old friend of mine here that knew about the situation back then. This guy does, or if he doesnt have the info, he can get it. I can't afford not to do this." She sighed, and took a napkin from the counter and removed a pen from her pocket. She quickly scribbled down a place, and a time.

G'Karr's Landing. It was an old abandoned marketplace in the slims. There was plenty of cover, plenty of escape routes which made it a good place to meet for them both. Since neither one was exactly good with this thing known as trust. The time, tomorrow morning. Afterall, she hardly expected the man to change his plans tonight for her. With that she motioned a waitress over and folded the napkin in half to conceal the contents. "If you would pass that to the guy in the back corner, with a glass of whatever he's drinking ... " And with that she handed the twi'lek girl the napkin and a healthy amout of credits to cover the drink and get the message passed along. She then turned back to the counter and downed the last of her drink swiftly before setting the empty glass back on the counter.

A few minutes passed and the waitress returned, handing the same napkin back to Cora. She opened it, and in addition to what she had written he had added an exact time, and the word yes, had been scribbled beneath. She then handed the napkin over to Naamah. "Think it's time we get the feth out of here and go do a little scouting. I want to make sure things are ready for tomorrow." Mostly she wanted to prepare by knowing the territory, and having the exits and cover already known before she got there. Hiding places also helped. And of course it paid to add her own preparations to the area, just in case. It always helped to know the grounds, but it paid well if a couple things were in place in case everything went to hell.

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


Naamah/Livia was a bit surprised by the vehemence in Cora's tone. It was that of someone who must have personal experience with intruders boring into her mind. Perhaps with Mirien Valdier? No, it seemed to go deeper than that.


"I'm used to it and he's a rank amateur in that department. Probably learned from a second-rate holocron with a melodramatic name," she said dismissively. Such as 'The Great Holocron of Darth Galactus'. "If he meddles, we kill him. Or torture him first. It's very painful for them to lose their horns."


Cora had a note with a meeting place passed on to the Bookkeeper. Ideally, he would show them his book. What an incredibly lame pun. Naamah gave the Fallen Angel a nod, and they arose. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the Zabrak shooting them a look.


"Hey, pretties, would you two like..." the thug who tried to accost them at the door got his answer when Naamah kicked him in the nuts, then seized his skull with her two hands and slammed it into a table. This effectively solved the problem of him having immoral desires. "Men."

 

[Cora Passek]

It went so much deeper. Her mind had not only been invaded, it had been home to Vahri for years. She had been forced to share her mind, her innermost thoughts with a Sith Lord. But it went even further than that her body had been his to use when he forced his will onto her. She didn't want anyone else to have to experience what she had been put through. "This isn't something you should be used to," Cora said, her tone still expressing deep displeasure at the notion. "Either way, I still think he's going to be trouble." She watched as the Sith exchanged whispers while looking at the pair of the bar. "And I really don't like that look." There was something about it that just sent a shudder down her spine. There was something there. Something she was bound to learn about the hard way.

Cora hadn't even missed a beat when Livia spoke of killing or torturing him. In fact, there might have been the slightest hint of pleasurable thoughts in her eyes, as she entertained the thought for a moment. Then again it hadn't crossed her mind that the creature across the bar, might have simply taken notice of her own dark aura these days. An aura that Cora forgot she projected now that she'd gained Vahri's knowledge and regained her connection with the force.

Cora rolled her eyes at the unfortunate soul that had crossed them at the door. "Men." She agreed as they finally crossed the threshold and headed off into the evening light.

"Now, it's been a while since I've been here. The meeting place is an old abandoned market place. It's a common meeting place for well, people like us." She said as soon as she was certain they were out of earshot of anyone at the bar. For her part, she couldn't quite shake the feeling they were being watched, maybe even followed. For the moment she said nothing on the matter and simply waited. She needed something more, some solid concrete proof that someone was following them. "I just want to check it out before we are dealing with business." It was part of her paranoia showing to some degree. It was also a healthy idea when she'd been in this business for far too long. It had kept her alive all these years and she wasn't about to give that up. She loved breathing too much. "Might take a bit of walking for us to find the place. This area that survived is and was a slum at the time I lived here. It was the same when the Mandos pranced in to wipe the world clean. Things are just different here now."

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


Alas, the Clawdite was in the dark about just how much Cora's mind and body had been violated by a malevolent spirit. "My mind is not a pleasant place to be," she said simply. Perhaps she would simply draw the Sith inside, then slam the door shut. He'd end up trapped with a monster.


The average Sith was a high school bully endowed with superpowers. Deep down, she was vicious. The differences between Naamah and Livia were far less than either would like to admit. So they exited the bar and breathed in the cool, corrupted air of Kaas. The pollution of the Dark Side permeated everything. One could not go anywhere without feeling the taint.


Perhaps Jedi would be able to reduce the corruption, even drive it back to a degree...but that would require them taking an interest. Cora was being paranoid, Naamah could not blame her. She still slept with a gun under her pillow and tended to booby-trap her apartments. "Different, and yet the same. I was here once. Many years ago. It was some time after the Republic signed that retarded treaty with them."

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora nodded, "I get that." She said softly as her eyes swept the streets, back and forth looking for anything that seemed out of place. Paranoia at it's finest. Trust wasn't something she ever had these days. No, she was sure just about anyone was out to get her for reasons even she couldn't explain if she tried. It was just part of how her mind worked now. Every corner held a potential threat and in no place did she feel completely safe. On Tygara, that was the closest she got to feeling safe and even then it wasn't a feeling of complete safety. No, she still slept with a gun under her pillow and still typically boobytrapped any place that she stayed in. Though undoubtedly Sio was unlikely to like that part of Cora, but habits were habits. These were a little too engrained to lose quickly and without serious effort on Cora's part.

Cora gave a nod, "I've not really been back here for about a decade. Things are bound to have changed a lot in that amount of time." Right in that moment Cora decided a detour was needed. She wanted to check for certain to see if she had anyone tailing them both. She turned North down an alleyway and kept going, making seemingly random turns. Finding out if someone was following you was more about acting like a lost idiot and seeing if the same people were still behind you after you looked the complete fool for not knowing where the hell you were headed. Simple, but it worked.

"That treaty was a mess. But that was a long while ago." She replied. That dark side aura of the planet was impossible to miss and Cora was feeling it now as it tugged at her and the memories Vahri had left her. "Thanks for the memories you bastard." She mumbled beneath her breath.

Cora then paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath. She was trying to calm down as she fought to push his memories away and separate them from her own. She loathed sharing those thoughts and images. It was all just horrific reminders of who she used to be and what he'd done to her. She found herself trembling as the darkness pulled harder on her mind. This wasn't what she'd expected. But then again, she was still new to this force thing and was still learning how it affected her mind and body.

"Give me a sec." Her voice was quieter, frightened even. She swallowed hard, doing all she could to pull herself back on track.

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


Thanks for the memories you bastard, Cora's mumbling did not go unnoticed. The Clawdite was on edge. The planet's dark side aura was omnipresent and tugged at her heart. It whispers clawed at her mind, bringing forth memories and desires she'd preferred to keep buried.


You forget all the good times, dear. Have you forgotten that one day when we unleashed Reavers on the populace? We found a nice artefact in the Dark Temple, the mocking inner voice reminded her. It made her blood run cold. Don't fret, sweetie. I'm sure no one will recognise us. Different look, different face...but I'll always be here to remind you of what you are.


Naamah took a deep breath, wrapping her hand around a lamp post as she tried to focus. The darkness pulled harder at her mind. Her eyes darted across the slums and dirty alleyways, and she remembered. Ask yourself, was Inquisitor Aesham any less of a sadistic monster? She had no answer for that. She was sweating despite the cold. Her breath frosted around her. Pulling herself together, she gave Cora an awkward pat on the shoulder. "Look, you can do this, ok? I'm, well, here and stuff."

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora struggled to push back memories, terrible memories. Memories that were not only her own from her times here, but Vahri's. And Vahri's had a way of rising to the surface, causing Cora more discomfort than she was ever willing to admit out loud. Shutting out the dark's pull on her mind wasn't an easy task. No, not when she'd barely began to grasp the new skills she had. Not only that, she still loathed the fact that she had those skills, to begin with. It wasn't something she wanted, now or ever. Force powers always seemed to bring trouble hand in hand.

Panting heavily, she looked back to Livia as the woman patted her shoulder. "Easier said than done." She managed to say, as she ran a hand through her hair, brushing back a bit of sweat from her brow in the process. "I just want to hurry this along now and get somewhere, anywhere, where the pull isn't this bad. It's making me physically ill." Cora whispered, hating every second of this experience.

Finally, she managed to push herself from the wall she'd been holding and started to move again, though a little shakey now. She still wasn't sure if they were being followed or not, but that itchy feeling remained. At the least someone was watching them. A few minutes more and they arrived at the far end of the abandoned marketplace. Old wooden stalls were broken and shattered just about everywhere. Fabric from canopies was torn and tattered, flapping in the light breeze. "I just want to work the exits out, and a few places for cover. Maybe lay something down, trap or the like ... Just in case."

She took a few steps further into the market. "Do you have that feeling? That we are being watched?" Cora had to ask. She had to know.

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


"Reminds me of Chaos," Naamah said quietly. Perhaps Cora had heard it, perhaps not. She sure hoped the latter. The pull of the Dark Side was strong. Kaas had been a dark pit long before the Mandalorians unleashed the apocalypse on the planet and murdered billions.


Now it felt like being drowned in an ocean of despair, suffering, fear and pain. She had more experience with using the Force than Cora, but she had awful memories of her own to deal. Only hers dealt with vile deeds she'd committed herself. She could not blame it on the seductive power of the Dark Side or an evil spirit. No, she had damned herself by her own hand and would have to accept the responsibility.


Along with the certainty that she was hellbound. She was on edge as they made their way to the marketplace. Calling it a market meant giving the place too much credit since it was abandoned. Everything was broken, messy and shattered. Canopies fluttered in the breeze, garbage lay everywhere, along with dried blood that stained the dirty ground.


"Yes, we're being watched," she said quietly, then suddenly pulled Cora close to her chest. "Relax. Act naturally," then she touched her cold lips to hers. The Clawdite was shivering from the cold, but kissed the blonde with surprising heat and tenderness. Her tongue darted between Cora's lips as she claimed them with the hunger of someone who had been starved of affection for a long time, while her hands roamed over her body. "Two at the market's edge, near the kiosk," she whispered in between kisses.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora hadn't quite caught the meaning by what Livia said of Chaos. In her world view, that wasn't what the underworld was called. But what did she know? She'd never been there.

It paid to work with the same people, Mirien Valdier knew this well, but not Cora. It had plenty of advantages. Like when someone pulled you in for a kiss in the middle of an operation, you knew just to roll with it. That there was a good reason for such actions. Now Cora... Cora didn't know this as well. She rarely worked with the same people twice. Siobhan was probably the only person she repeatedly worked with and for these days. So, she was left a little stunned by the situation.

It took her a moment before she managed to return the kiss, to try and make it part of the act. It just wasn't something she expected in the least. Not from a woman she barely knew. Cora's first instinct was to resist, to pull away as Naamah grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss. This was far too close for her comfort when she didn't know the woman that well. Her trust was minimal at best. She whimpered quietly as she fought the urge to push the woman away in surprise. Relax? Yeah, like that is happening. She thought to herself.

Keeping her head, Cora didn't turn to look to where Livia had suggested their admirers were standing. She trusted that the woman had called it correctly. "The question is what do we do about it? Leave them be and do what we planned anyway? Or shall we find out what the hell they are staring at and why they are interested in us?"

[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Cora Passek"]


Even with her diminished senses, Naamah could sense Cora's discomfort. The blonde was visibly fighting the urge to pull away and escape this evidently awkward, uncomfortable situation. However, the Clawdite did not less this disconcert her. As far as anyone who was looking in was concerned, they were making out and Cora might just be a bit shy. One of her hands snaked down across the human's back to rub soothing circles across it, while she pulled her close. The blonde was a good deal taller and Naamah pressed her petite body into hers.


"We don't need another set of eyes watching. Find out what they want, then dispose of them if they're a problem," Naamah replied quietly. Her Inquisition training took over, overriding any other concerns. This was not the moment to mess around. It sounded bizarre, but Chaos had actually made her a lot better at her job. Hitting rock bottom and being deprived of her powers had been a shock, but also what she needed.