~The Stars That Beckon~

[Dark Lady Zena]

While Blade was brooding over his Master's departure from the Sith Empire, Zena was involved in her own soul searching while taking a midnight stroll. The infinite vista of lambent stars mirrored her crystal blue eyes as they locked on the accumulated nebulas for answers.

She recalled a time while in the mercenaries when she harbored a secret yearning for a powerful warrior in her clan, yet had never made her intentions known to him since her best friend loved him as well from a distance. She could not hurt or betray her friend, though her heart ached to be taken by the soldier who had captured her heart from afar.

Time had past as her camp was eventually raided, resulting in the death of most of the men, including her best friend Naomi, and the warrior she could never love. They were taken out by a ruthless Sith Lord hell bent on their utter destruction. Zena managed to survive a lethal saber wound as the mysterious Sith healed her flesh, and took her as his apprentice, having experienced her seasoned skills in combat. He sensed an aptitude with the Force which also convinced him to spare her life. He later sent her on to the Sith Empire to further her training. She owed him a life debt of honor, and agreed to fullfill her preordained destiny with the Sith Empire.

She recalled the wise words he bestowed upon her while in training.

"Never allow obstacles from blocking what you truly desire, or settle for something else in its stead, for in the long run your soul will be the victim of an unwise and premature choice, and will suffer the consequences of an unfullfilled existence."

[Salem Ave]

"Wisss-e worrrds,"

Beneath the calm light of the stars, a figure stared down towards Zena. His silhouette was cast against the moonlight, creating an eerie halo of soft pale light around his frame. Though ghaunt in areas, the taught paneling of muscle that made up his body seemed much stronger, if not definetly stronger, in this outdoor setting.

The solid-black pools that were set as his eyes strayed momentarily from the Warriors face towards the moon, a thin dark eyebrow raising as he surveyed what she had been presumably entranced by.

[Dark Lady Zena]

She could sense the Vampyre before he made his presence clear with his approbatory commentary.

"Yes, he was wise," she nodded erecting a brow.

"I have seen you before. I am called Zena. It always puzzles me how the Sith Vampyre can restrain from being around the mortal Sith of the Empire. Does our warm blood not tempt you by seizing your restraint?"

She felt oddly drawn to this one as she had with all Sith Vampyes.

[Salem Ave]

"I may young, but I have the ability to rrrestrain myself,"

Salem gestured one hand outwards, looking around still.

"Are you drawn to cattle and poultry when you sss-ee them? Do you feel a ravenous hungerrr at the hint of their presence?"

The question was rhetorical, and the answer of course no.

"... I have no desssire to devour my own brrrethren."

[Dark Lady Zena]

Feeling disconcerted as he unconsciously embarrassed her with a well chosen retort, using beasts as an example, Zena nodded in approval, silenty cursing herself for her foolish question.

"I am sorry, Salem, I should have known better..I have not been myself these past days..There are pressures I must address that noone but me can deal with..That is.. till I announce them."

Intelligent..this apprentice, Zena apperceived, harboring a keen insight and wisdom. A fine asset he shall make to TSE.

"How have you enjoyed your stay at the Empire thus far?" Zena asked inquisitively, steering clear of the last topic, altering her composure to one of comfort.

[Salem Ave]

The point of his discomfort was dually noted, but he made nothing more of it. He was not one to pry, for often did not care for the social concerns of others - Salem confined himself to himself unless he felt so inclined as to persue one who piqued his interested.

"It hasss been ... enlightening."

This said, internally he ran over his thoughts. Were it not for his arrival here he would not have met a great many people, his sire included. At this he became somewhat more positive beneath the surface.

"What of yourrr ssstay, Zena? I hope it hasss trrreated you better than you seem to be now."

[Dark Lady Zena]

"Indeed it has. I am lucky to have been accepted amongst its ranks, and by my renowned master, Jedah Lynch."

Gazing up at the stars once more, Zena lost herself in deep thought.

[Salem Ave]

"You arrre lucky to have gained Lynch as a Massster,"

Salem mulled over the thought of the powerful vampyre, silently nodding to himself for a moment.

"What of Jedi, have you fought many?"

[Dark Lady Zena]

Nodding to his annotation of her Master, Zena averted her gaze back to Salem.

"A few...I have clashed blades with Jedi Knight Sage, a Padawan Zeke, and the Jedi Master, Anbira. Others joined in against Sage and Anbira. I shall meet up with Anbira again, when my training advances."

Exasperation filled her soul as she thought of the battles.

"With Zeke, it was an agreed spar, but I vowed to kill the audacious Padawan upon our next meeting. I held my own against Sage, yet others wanted a taste of the arrogant Knight. Lady Vader ended up facing off against Anbira. Strong with the Force, they are. Lady Vader shall have her revenge in time, and silence the Jedi Master with her blade, or with her expertise in exercising the DarkForce upon him."

[Salem Ave]

"I know sss-o little of the Jedi ... I have met only one, but I did not find out hisss name,"

Salem looked down at one cloven hand.

"My trrraining moves slowly, though I have had killing experience with Rrrazielle and in the barrr with friends," he said, almost laughing.

[Dark Lady Zena]

Zena laughed with him.

.."Nothing like a good bar brawl. So who were the victims?"..

A brow lofted as she was eager for the answer.

[Salem Ave]

"Some patron, no one of importance,"

His shoulders rose then fell.

"Hmm.."

With a slight murmur he lowered himself so that he was sitting down, getting the same view of the stars as Zena.

"Do you know much of the constelations?"

[Dark Lady Zena]

Shaking her head in a negative gesture, Zena just pointed to a single planet that presented itself as a luminous star.

.."That is Tatooine...I sense it to be so, as it was my homeworld. Seems the DarkForce is affording me many advantages, yet I have much more to experience."..

Glancing at Salem, she wondered where his origins began.

.."Where do you come from Salem?"..

[Salem Ave]

Salem glanced up towards what she had labelled as Tatooine, squinting, and smirked.

"Wherrre I come from... I do not know. I was raised on a planet named Vance, wherrre unusssual childrrren were sss-ent to develop theirrr abilities."

He shifted a bit.

"My appearrrance and wing-sss gained me entrrrance there."

[Dark Lady Zena]

"I thought only the vampyres had acquired wings...I mean, after the transformation. My Master never spoke of it."

Zena was always perplexed about the mystical vampyres; how they came about their immortal end, and coming to grips with the aray of changes which had altered their conceptions of the environment and its inhabitants, be them lower life-forms, or of a higher species.