Welcome to the End

[EmKay]

The young man woke from his nap with a start. A slight beeping from his datapad woke him. Rhoujen was startled, since it was his emergency tone, and he shot up and pulled his datapad to him. With a flick of the button, the screen opened and it automatically scrolled to a galaxy map. It panned around, into the area between Confederate and Protectorate space, to a planet called Xagobah. There, [member="Luna Vega"]'s transponder necklace indicated activation. His brows furrowed, then raised in surprise. He hadn't heard from Miss Vega since before he'd discovered Salem and joined the CIS. His thoughts had turned to her in some of his spare time, but such moments never came often, or for long... He slid out of his bed aboard the Hand of Fate and slipped on his basic clothing. He looked up to a security camera, one of the many eyes of the ever-aware AI that controlled the ship.

"I'm going out for a bit. If Salem asks, tell him I'll be back soon." he said quietly. The camera lens refocused in acknowledgement, and Atretes made his way through the halls of the Star Destroyer until he reached the hangar where his trusty KWS Morvak was housed. He stepped into the cramped freighter and tapped the panel that shut the hatch with a hiss. A few serpentine steps brought him to the cockpit, where he began pre-flight checks and warmups. In the meantime, he stared at his datapad.

"How long it's been since we last met... we may be entirely different people by now." he mused to himself. It was unfortunately true, as well. Rhoujen had gone through bouts of training, fought beasts born of the Dark side of the Force, and experienced things he'd never thought he ever would. Things like that change a person, and with Luna's more outgoing attitude, he could only imagine what she'd been through. He sighed quietly, a noise of breath drowned out by the screech of revving starship engines. At least they remembered one another.

* * *​

​

Some hours later from wherever the Hand had been located, the Morvak dropped into realspace with a lurch that broke Atretes from his nap. He sat up, and plugged his datapad into a power socket nearby. It had been left on while he slept. He stood, stretched, and moved back to the cockpit from the central 'lounge'. The view of the planet was not very informative to how the surface was, but luckily the transponder linked to a section of one of the jungled parts of the world below. Then another alert appeared from the Confederate database. Apparently this was the ancient site of something known as the Mazariyan. He had no clue what it was, and the database had little more than the name privy to his level of clearance, but nevertheless it piqued his interest.

After a few short minutes of flight checks and computer simulations, the ship set for an autopiloted course to a nearby flatland that seemed to have substantial terrain to land. Snapping branches were the only indication that he was descending, gravitational force notwithstanding, while the white fog of the swamp blocked all vision through the main viewport. Tense seconds passed where Atretes feared he would sink into the bog until the ship landed with a dull thud and slight jerk, padded by the soft land underneath it. He let out a sigh, realising he was holding his breath.

"Here goes nothing, then." he mulled to himself in his mind as he wandered through to his quarters and put on his armour's chestpiece over his clothing and tightened his boots, and then threw on his repaired coat over it. Between the haircut, the slightly hardened features, and possible change in demeanour, Luna would need something to recognise him with, and this coat was the one she gave him. He straightened out his clothing one last time, and then went out of the ship into the swamp.

The first, squelching step was his welcome, followed by the distinct stench brought on by decaying flora. It was not pretty, but he'd been in arguably worse situations involving a Sith Battle Hydra. The memory brought a chill down his spine as he remembered how easily Sigma had annihilated the beast... and then he remembered that egg. He'd have to claim it soon, it was bound to hatch soon.

He shook off the distracting thoughts. He had a purpose for being here. He was following the transponder beacon. He forgot his datapad. He sighed. With a shake of his head, he wandered out into the swamp. His eyes strained against the fog and clung to movement for any indication of Luna, but despite the physical ineptitude, his senses flared out and he touched against every life form that he found, until he touched one that was intimately familiar to him. He followed the breadcrumb trail, on his way to reuniting with his first lover.

 

[Luna Vega]

If we had faith in each other...

The planet was a lush, green backwater haven. It had been, so very long ago, in a galaxy far different than this. That is, before the great purge. A base for the Techno Union, she had read, of The Confederacy of Independent Systems. Xagobah held wonder and in the eyes of the pirate, profit and adventure. There were many things the member of The Horde could have been doing, but after encountering and living the life surrounded by biotechnology, an itch had to be scratched.

She was divulging in her nerd side and was not about to make a show of it. Not yet anyways. That was what happened when the better part of your life was on star ships, if you had any sense to be self-sufficient. Even if it were just to save your credits and not spend them paying someone else to fix your ship. The love for technology was that of a hidden part. Play the fool, she learned. Biotechnology was not only better, it was cheaper. The thought dawned on her and the privateer grinned ear-to-ear.

What once had been a charcoal gray and red paint job to a base model T- 65 X-Wing fighter was now bare, revealing more than a hinting of the titanium alloy hull that was beneath the layers. The Rebellion era craft had seen some abuse and indeed had better days. Cosmetically that is. In fact, it was not even operable until after she procured it. Savvy? Alas though, it had been faithful and got her where she was going, unpretty as it were. The grease still embedded under her fingernails, in her hair, on her cheeks- Luna Vega looked very much the part of a mechanic.

Looking down now, the blue-haired pirate-slash-mechanic-slash-tyrant's pale gray gaze locked on to the make-shift necklace. Only hours ago had she replaced it. Technology of course was frowned upon by the members of The Horde. Most members. Vega did not, for once in her life, take the chance of it being taken. Especially not by some fanatical wench on a religious killing spree. Just then, she thought of him and wondered for the millionth time in what seemed like eternity if he had found what he went searching for. What [member="Atretes Rhoujen"] had left her for, she reminded herself.

Still... she still had the necklace.

Blimey. Feth it. Has to be the antidote, Luna suddenly blamed and then sneezed. "Oh for feth's sake!"

With a long, curved blade, the lass took passes at oncoming vegetation, clearing her path. The main reason she was here was the Mazariyan. A great fortress that had been engineered from a variety of organisms and the native malvil-tree. It had been said that it was infallible... or, more so than any other. To breech it and survive was highly unlikely. There had only been one that did it, or so she was told. That made it impressive.

Most impressive.

She was up to her knees in mud, her blue hair decorated in various pollen spores. Sweat rolled off her, but Luna mushed on, data pad in her other hand. From time to time, she captured images and stopped to enter various things she observed or fact of some sort. A few exotic flowers even hung from the top of the pack she carried on her back. One orange and purple with large petals and a thick stem, the others faint pinks and one of a blue hue that resembled a lotus. Anyways... they helped with the smell.

After what seemed like trekking for days, the pirate toppled a hill and rested her hands on her knees, hunched over. The land stretched for kilometers by the hundreds, she noted, looking out as she straightened. And in the midst of it all, there she was. A low whistle zinged from her tongue and she smiled softly. "Seven hells..." it was barely a whisper and the only one to hear was the vast jungle behind her.

In that moment Luna became very aware of her surroundings. Not that she did not pay mind before, but the air now... it sang with a venomous, lilted bliss. She swallowed once and licked her salty lips. Suddenly the data pad was snugly slipped into a side pocket and both her hands were upon her blade. With each step, her heart pounded in her chest.

 

[EmKay]

"Not much further, it seems." Atretes mulled in his mind as he approached nearer to the hill that she'd stopped on. Drachlann's weight suddenly made itself known on his belt, along with his lightsaber and slugthrower pistol. He didn't know why his corporeal senses heightened this way... perhaps he was anxious. He tried to calm himself, but to little avail. His throat tightened and mouth grew pasty, making his tongue stick in awkward ways and feel too big for his mouth. Before he realised where he was, he'd managed his way within ten feet of the lady who'd sparked joy and caring in him after a life in a laboratory. He cleared his throat quietly, and said in a nervous, yet playful, voice,

"Fancy meeting you here, stranger." and with that, he stepped the threshold into meeting [member="Luna Vega"]. Again.

 

[Luna Vega]

The blade was a hair or three away from his neck before he could speak, before Luna could even set her sights on [member="Atretes Rhoujen"]. It was the last thing she expected and she found herself at a loss for words. Arm lowering, the machete came to dangle loosely at her side in her hand. She scraped at the drying mud clinging to her pant's leg idly. Why... How... The setting sun played with gold, orange tones just along the edges of hanging leaves, causing shadows to move over her face. A face filled with both longing and bewilderment.

Azure brows panned up, arching as she seemed to search his eyes. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. "Rhou..." began Luna with a soft smile. Absent minded, the pirate fingered her necklace, then shook her head. "What in the blazes are you doin' here?" As glad as she was to see him, it made her wary. Concerned maybe. Why is it that I always look like hell when we meet? Vega thought suddenly and sighed at herself. She turned, full on facing the man now.

 

[EmKay]

The blade of Drachlann was flicked out and met Luna's machete with a metallic clink. He was gentle, but he didn't want to die by reflex. The blade hovered hairs away, but would not have made it closer. A bead of nervous sweat beaded on his brow, then was lost to the humidity of this swamp. As [member="Luna Vega"]'s blade lowered, so too did his own, dangling to his side uselessly as hers before he took a glance down and sheathed the weapon. Her expression left him disarmed, her confusion-addled need wrenching into his spirit and making his posture sag a little.

"What in the blazes are you doin' here?", she asked. He smiled his soft, crooked adopted pirate smile, and shrugged.

"A little bird told me you wanted company." he said lightheartedly, and opened his arms to her in invitation of embrace. The grime of this situation was much different than of their first and last meeting, an he had to say that oil and dirt suited her better than old makeup and dried fluids.

 

[Luna Vega]

A moment of hesitation, and she made a hushed sound of defeat. The blue hair would have flung had it not been living along the sides of her thin face, soaked in sweat when she jerked her head. "Oh really?" More redundant than anything else, but Luna's voice was peppered with curiosity. As it always had been. She had not lost that. Machete falling, fingers doing a light dance, missing the comfort. It would had clattered if not for the lush, exotic leaves all around. The pirate all but fell into his offered, almost home feeling embrace, finding something more familiar- No. Wanted.- to occupy her hands. They encircled [member="Atretes Rhoujen"] 's waist and she let out a sigh she had not realized she was holding.

It was all like before, Vega wanted to say, but stilled and came back to reality. Nothing was like before.

The feel of his arms around her was testament to that. Stronger and she wondered why suddenly. While she would not complain... because who would? Atretes had always been beautiful. Just beneath the fingertips, the woman could feel new muscle. Luna looked up then, challenging herself to relearn him intimately from a distance, only with her eyes. The act took an astounding ten minutes. Pulling the man closer, she hid the questions in her eyes and savored the moment. She did not muddle it with her curiosity, only clung to him with the crown of her head just under his chin.

Pale gray eyes lingered on the Mazariyan and she smiled softly, albeit errant.

 

[EmKay]

Atretes' mouth quirked at her rhetoric. He assumed that [member="Luna Vega"] knew what he was talking about, so he mentally waived off the lingering question and chose instead to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace. The body was familiar and comforting, but with the alliance of the Force and simply the feeling between two people, he could tell she'd changed. There was something about her tensing of muscles, an urgency behind the moment of comfort, and that sense that her mind wasn't completely there. Admittedly, he wasn't either. While he enjoyed this moment, his mind darted to several places at once such as the relic supposed to be here, whether or not Norongachi would grow impatient, his lessons in training... all of these things factored together to provide a distraction that glazed his vision over for a moment before he returned to reality. As if to state the obvious, and say what they had both been plainly thinking, he muttered softly, his face inches away from her head so she could feel his breath on her neck,

"You've changed."

 

[Luna Vega]

"I have?" Blinking, her long lashes fluttered a few times, stirring herself from the stare. Luna didn't look up, instead she moved her head to rest on his shoulder. Aside from added ink, that so happened to be covered, she was completely oblivious to what he was talking about. Then she wondered to herself if it was a bad thing, whatever it was. "How...?" Now she had to know, even if she did not like the answer, she enjoyed truth. Nervously, the lass chewed her lip awaiting an explanation.

So as to see him again, or his eyes really, Luna leaned away, her hands moved to rest upon his forearms. "You're different," she said softly, gray duos fleeting over [member="Atretes Rhoujen"] for the second time. It was a look of appreciation, of agreeing with the transformation- not that it had a thing to do with her- but she gave it nonetheless. His body was harder, more unyielding even. From her experience with the man, she remembered it to be more sleek, with less definition. "Why?"

 

[EmKay]

Atretes' grin played across his face again and he shook his head at the young [member="Luna Vega"] before him.

"I can't really say for certain," he explained, "It's a... feeling." he tried to play it off, but the reality was that with the Force he could sense more about her, which was a subtle, yet apparent, change in his initial feeling on something so vague yet fundamental as how here simply was. It was vexing for him, and yet he found himself attracted to the new mystery.

Then the question rounded to him. Rhoujen gave a soft sigh and squeezed Luna in his arms, his answer formulating in his mind before it came as words.

"I found what I was looking for," he said quietly, "And I'm still learning." he finished. He hoped she'd remember that parting moment, all those years ago, where he promised a reuniting. How he told her there were things he needed to do, to learn, to know. It seemed like a lifetime ago, when it was really perhaps a month -- maybe less.

 

[Luna Vega]

The questions nagged at her like a small child begging for attention or an itch that needed to be scratched. So far, [member="Atretes Rhoujen"] made right with his word. So why dig? For one, Luna seemed to care a great deal-didn't really show it- but, she did. It simply was not her style to appear hung up. There was a certain reputation that pirates had to keep. Then, the fleeting thought of putting him in danger passed. Ugh. So, for now and probably for a while yet, their relationship would be a whisper on the wind. And... for two, she was inquisitive.

She took the time within his hold to feel a sense of safety, of happiness. It wouldn't last, she knew. Just his familiar scent was comforting though, and she could not bare to remove it just then. The Luna that he knew slowly began to reveal herself; it started with the change of speech one hard to comprehend word at a time. There was a change, yes... but beneath it all was just a young woman trying to survive in a galaxy full of monsters.

At some point or another you had to become one or face extermination.

"An whit d'ye fund?" Looking up, Vega arched a quizzical brow at him. "Frae whoum?"

The weak did not last long these days, which made her look at Atretes closer. Made her wonder how he was surviving. Did he have to become a monster too?

 

[EmKay]

Atretes felt her focus shift, her emotions untangling themselves from whatever she'd twined them around to... protect herself? He was unsure, but it sounded reasonable to him, that she'd box things away for safety. His arms tightened around her to squeeze her form to his own, a brief moment of intimacy before she pulled away to speak again. More questions. It was understandable, really, that she would be curious, so he didn't mind the string of queries.

"I found what I was looking for, or part of it," he said with a little grin, "from a man who subscribes to neither good or evil." he finished. He didn't mean to sound cryptic, but he didn't want to spill absolutely everything. While this woman brought him joy, there were many things that [member="Luna Vega"] may have done or been involved in that he didn't know. As such, he asked in kind.

"And what of you? Did you find the life of spacefaring adventure you dream of?"

 

[Luna Vega]

"Na raelae," the lilted voice answered. Luna had taken his hand in hers then, blithely, and ran her own fingers over his. Her soft overcast eyes were distant, milling over what she could have done. The plans that she had turned to ash, or how it all had. The pirate could almost taste it then and she shook her head lightly- not quite unsettled, maybe bemused. "It wis odd-an-end..." small, muck slathered shoulders shrugged lightly. "Na the likes o awthings ey hae saen."

The smile was cool, debonair, even on such a dirty face. Vega gave a light squeeze to the hand she cradled. "Coul ye show me wat ye fand?" Difference was proof of something. It even had her skin crawling... or alive.

It was a hopeful gaze she bestowed upon [member="Atretes Rhoujen"]. Maybe it was just to ease her own inquisitive mind, or fears. Or... maybe it was a test. Luna even now, looked for reasons, however intuitive, in people so as not to trust them. It was just some deep down defense system. There whether she liked it or not.

 

[EmKay]

The reply was a soft smile, and a worried sigh. He wanted to, but now wasn't the time. He had much to learn still, and he didn't think that the ever-moving Star Destroyer he called home would appreciate more guests. His expression turned apologetic as he spoke.

"I can't," he said, then took a breath, "Not yet, anyway. I have a lot to figure out still. Many months ahead of me and the future is uncertain." he said, a bit of an eager smile playing across his features. His gaze went distant for a moment before he shook it off and gave [member="Luna Vega"] a renewed embrace.

"We'll likely become much closer in the future." he said nearly prophetically. He could... feel it. His and Luna's relationship was far from over, it merely needed time to come to full form.

 

[Luna Vega]

"Kam'eyn," she said tugging on his sleeve then, "les goo."

Where there was danger, Luna was sure to meddle. Maybe that meant [member="Atretes Rhoujen"] or maybe it meant the Mazariyan that was set right before their eyes. The place seemed to beg for company and the pirate would surely oblige like a patron in the cantina when the bartender gave drinks out on the house. It was free for the taking, there was just no telling how you would feel the morning after. "Non, Rhou." Vega commented while taking the first few steps towards the fortress. She stopped, eyes shifting, then she sighed. "Teh futur be switherin. Sae be wi's." Stooping, a hand came down ripping up a few shards of grass when she jerked on the handle of the machete.

"A canna sey 'at a doona trou ya... buut, a doona e'en trou mine ein sel." With a swipe of her tongue, Luna licked the pad on her pointer finger, then stuck it to the wind. Hmmph. Both brows shot up, then cast down to their normal state. "This wae."

 

[EmKay]

Atretes slid his sword back into its sheath with a flourish, and followed along behind [member="Luna Vega"]. This whole situation began to feel like a dream, especially as the strange foundry that bore eroded Confederacy crests. Somehow, her understanding-but-not words dug into him more than her being upset would have, and he took a step back to avoid the swinging tool. He wanted to fathom some reply of comfort, but couldn't muster the words, and instead followed silently with a nod when she directed the direction to go. It was quite a funny thing, that gesture, when the building they were headed toward was in plain sight.

 

[Luna Vega]

Tendrils, vicious swarming tendrils of vegetation reached out then. Some so thin they were hard to see with the naked eye, others thick as tree trunks snaked through the high grass. Vines searched, perhaps made to seek out the new life force and ensnare which ever body part it came into contact with. Was it just protection of the Mazariyan? A bio-system that had been alerted? It seemed to know... though where were the eyes? The nose? Something to see with, scent with? Was it just -she struggled with what she wanted to say- vibrations? Vega felt it somehow, a silent hum, and her senses blew up, disorienting her.


The little ground they covered had been taken away and she ran into [member="Atretes Rhoujen"], back pedaling, machete swinging in front of her. Even though there was comfort in that little contact, she did not have the time to wallow in it or even enjoy it. Luna hung on to the the essence of sight, strained her ears to hear the least expected of predators. The sharp blade came down multiple times in precision, hacking away at the limbs threatening to take her down. KIll her? Ever fiber of her being screamed to flee the area. But could it enchant the rest of the forest as well... were they closed in, doomed?


Stomping with her boots to almost no avail, one vine leeched on the toe and swam up her leg like a snake. It tightened and then pulled, immobilizing that one leg. She couldn't swipe at it with out hacking into herself. Luna screamed, trying to twirl her way free. "Get...." she shrieked, feeling warm liquid run down her calf, "Get it off me!" Panic laced her voice, her other boot coming down soundly, but not quite disengaging the hold the vegetation had on her.

 

[EmKay]

OOC: Sorry, Luna, but like I said in another thread I closed this way, I have wrapping up doing. We can do this kind of thing again later, though.