Too Mad for the Sith? Hardly.

[Kurenai]

Some days had passed since the Uprising at the Thunder Dome. In the chaos that ensued, many of the world's warlords and rulers cut their losses and ran, while others were slain by vengeful slaves in a flurry of blades, blood, death and Force lightning. The uprising was technically successful, but the status quo of the world remained unchanged. It was not the first slave uprising- and it would not be the last. However, it most certainly was the first that used the Dark Side to empower its warriors.

This world's sun shone too brightly, too hotly on this blasted ash world. The second it rose on the horizon, an unwelcome heat pricked at anything that was exposed. Any wildlife quickly burrowed or found shelter. Relief came in the form of the many blasted ruins of ancient cities, the spires of once proud sky-reaching structures now serving as silent monuments among the dunes to a civilization long past.

In the shadow of one such steel structure, a lone medical droid performed the mundane labor of its master's instructions. Inside a polarized tent, the droid dressed an unconscious, paled skinned woman in comfortable pastel robes, as black clothes and this heat did not mix. At all. Then the droid installed a special UV filtering mask on the woman. It ensured that every inch of her body was shielded from the

Once done, it pushed a button that caused the tent to collapse. It then pulled the hover-operating table into some sun, to let the rays awaken the patient.

"GAH!" Nariko felt the brightness in her eyes, and instinctively shielded herself, searching for shelter. She calmed down when she realized there was no immediate threat to her, being so protected by a layer of UV resisting clothes. She looked around for her savior, whoever commanded the medical droid... as well as trying to get her bearings.

The medical droid noted his patient had awoken, and walked away to inform [member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Kurenai"]

The Garhoon's tongue clicked against her teeth and the sound could be heard with a mechanical sound behind the mask while she sucked in air between her teeth. Looking over some of the information from the thundering dome had provided her with a few things they could work on. The milky white talisman in her palm as well as the scanner before she was moving with some of the attention on a few of the things. "Careful now." her voice came out at a permanent hiss like grate from the vocabulator when she arrived and stood looking down at the girl. Her golden eyes almost on fire compared to her pale face and full body preservation suit that showed some minor wear and tear. "You don't want to hurt yourself before you have proven of value beyond some experimentation do you?"

 

[Kurenai]

[member="Seras Goto"]

The nameless medical droid returned to Seras's side, offering her refreshments with a straw. "Hydration levels must be kept at higher than normal levels while on this planet." It said, automatically monitoring everyone's vitals.

Nariko was a woman who knew gratitude when it was due. Still, she reached out with her Force senses to assess Seras. She quickly realized she was strong in the Art, like her grandmother was but even stronger. The events were a blur to her, and she felt weak, drained. She limped as she approached, feeling strong withdrawal. The profane ritual that was enacted had made her very strong in the Dark Side- if only for that uprising. Now, the Force sought its equivalent exchange, and left Nariko dizzy and weak.

"...You. you were there with the General on the stands..." She managed a statement, before finding a wall to lean on. She was about to murder her hated 'owner', when... when... what happened again? The power left her? she had lashed out and spent too much energy on the soldiers, and on the ones seated in the bleacher. Madness took her. She forgot her hatred, and glutted on bystanders who deserved no less. But for that the General lived, amassing a force to defend himself from retribution... or to seek it on his own.

The polarized face mask and layered, reflective robes did indeed allow her to walk under the sun without fear. Still, she instinctively stepped into the nearest shadow to cool herself. To be rejected by sunlight itself, she felt like The Kurenai, the crimson beast of this world's myth. "Tell me then, why did you help me?"

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Kurenai"]

"That is a very selfish view." She stayed there watching her intently with a small laugh. "Me me me, always thinking you are the most important thing." She held her gloved hand out. Her voice coming out with a mechanical hiss while looking over all of it. "This is one little being in one tiny system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm old. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you." She stayed there looking at the medical droid while her golden eyes went over what she could see there. Watching the screens. "I found it amusing, and when things amuse me it means they can be useful... and if they are useful then we are able to work on things. Perhaps there are some things you will prove useful in."

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Kurenai"]

"That is a very selfish view." She stayed there watching her intently with a small laugh. "Me me me, always thinking you are the most important thing." She held her gloved hand out. Her voice coming out with a mechanical hiss while looking over all of it. "This is one little being in one tiny system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm old. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you." She stayed there looking at the medical droid while her golden eyes went over what she could see there. Watching the screens. "I found it amusing, and when things amuse me it means they can be useful... and if they are useful then we are able to work on things. Perhaps there are some things you will prove useful in."

 

[Kurenai]

[member="Seras Goto"]

Nariko paused, seeing the wisdom in this. "...I see. It was for your benefit and not mine." She stated the obvious, hiding in the shade of the ruin helping her more than talking to Seras. "Well then, I know to be grateful where gratitude is due. so I thank you for the protection from the sun." She had to start somewhere.

"Then I suppose we should be introduced first. I am..." Nariko paused for a moment right then, and continued. "...Kurenai. With whom... do I have the privilege of speaking to?" It was a name she chose for herself. Not Nariko the slave girl, not Nariko Bohan, the pretty bride of some perverted old man. She made a guess to what Seras wanted, though she went on a tangent before stating the obvious. Failing to gather anything by the Force, she relied on mundane observation, listening to the woman's voice, her breathing, the mechanical pauses. She stood up properly now to address her.

"It seems you are not exactly in the best of health? Doubtful I could offer any healing more effective than what your machine already does." They both had a knack for treating conditions, and both needed special attire to survive, though their situations had marked differences.

"Or perhaps, you wish to know of the Ritual I enacted at the Thundering Dome?" She only then waited for a reply, wondering if that was what she came for... though the price hardly seemed appealing, considering the ill fate of the gladiators and herself.

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Kurenai"]

Her eyes remained on the girl but there was a distinct lack of emotion of interest from them, watching and listening to her as the doctor moved a little. "If I wanted to I could heal my body with the force, some of the strongest darkside abilities but it would be a falsehood. Something to show I was uncorrupted on the surface while inside my body is twisted and gnarled." She was looking at her while she stood there and there was burns on her face, the less needed ones that were near her head. Burn scars while she was moving a little with some attention. "I do not choose to hide what I am: I am sad when I have cause and smile at my ladies jests, eat when I have stomach and wait for no ones leisure, sleep when I am drowsy and tend on no others business, laugh when I am merry and claw none in their humour."

She kept going over a few more of the things, she had seen what happened at the dome. She had seen what was happening to Venefica's vision and she was saddened by it... even her old heart with the Garhoon. She had usually kept to the shadows and was visible in the black rose. With everything that was happening to them she had found some things. "Though I prefer it be said that I am a flattering honest woman, it shall never not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. Resolute and enjoying what I do. Making people, making worlds better. Free of that illusion they call freedom by restoring and ensuring there is order." She finally laughed a little with some of her attention on things while watching the girl before she tapped on the screen. "As to a name, I am called by most Seras."

 

[Kurenai]

Kurenai nodded at first to Seras's explanation, before she realized the woman had a high opinion of herself. And perhaps maybe a bit unhinged. She was still too weak to care.

"Honesty is often short in supply in this world." The only sentiment she commented on.


"Well then, lady Seras. What is the purpose of us meeting this day? You say there are ways for me to be useful? The Nightsisters dislike to be in debt." She asked, finding that dealing with another woman was difficult. The men of this world were simple brutes easy to trick, and easy to please. A Force User was a completely new adversary for the young Dothamirian.

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Kurenai"]

Oh now how could she be useful.... There were so many ways as the Garhoon stood there breathing for a moment. "Well aside from the experimentation that could be done, the information about the nightsisters to further enlighten either through conversation and me rewarding you or me peeling your skin off." She moved around a little at the bed she was in. "There is the value you provide me personally, I do enjoy an exotic meal and Venefica has complimented by skillful techniques." What better way then to play with your food she could see while going over a few things here and there. With her lightwhip on her hip and some of the skills she could find what made this being tick.