Scions of Dread: Darvannis

[Jezebella Shadana]

OOC Note: While I have marked this thread as open, please understand that this is the beginning of a very important arc for my character and I require that it be taken quite seriously. Feel free to PM me if you'd like additional details about the storyline I have planned.

Horizon-class Star Yacht- The Apophis
In Orbit Over Darvannis

A sense of excitement and uncertainty seemed to permeate the atmosphere of the small transport, a prolonged silence drifting between the four passengers awaiting orders from their leader.

"I've never even heard of this planet. What did she say it was called again?" Asked a petite Mirialan woman by the name of Trix. She sat in the co-pilot seat, her hands braced against the dash. The sandy hued planet loomed in the viewport before her, its circumference haloed in an eerie blue glow. She turned her head, her eyes searching her partner's gaze for an answer.

Her partner, Derv, a buff human male in his early thirties, returned her look. "I think she called it Darvannis. It wasn't in the star charts but she had exact coordinates." He replied quietly, turning his gaze away from Trix to observe the holoplatform that projected the globular likeness of the planet and the trajectory checkpoints they'd use to get to their destination.

"Who cares? It's a damn deserted planet in the middle of Hutt space. Let's just get this over with so we can get paid." Another of the passengers chimed in. This time, the gruff voice belonged to an Epicanthix male named Terne. His statement was punctuated by the slamming of a power cell into the bottom of his weathered heavy blaster rifle.

The last passenger was a Gand and hadn't spoken a word since boarding the ship back at Drifter's; even in way of introduction. He was busily running calculations on the datapad locked between his three-fingered hands and didn't seem to pay his other comrades a bit of mind. It wasn't until the sliding door, separating the cockpit from the corridor beyond, shot open that he even looked up from his task.

Jezebella stepped among them, her yellow and red-rimmed eyes immediately sought out the desert planet. Garbed in her traditional, black-leather combat attire and armed to the teeth, she gave the go ahead to begin descent and then slipped into one of the unoccupied seats. "Once we've landed, we'll be setting out immediately. Make whatever preparations you need and do not keep me waiting."

It was a warning that her unfeeling eyes need not convey. The Dark Side, saturating their destination beyond the walls of Oasis City, called to her; guiding her like a beacon toward her destiny. The Apophis shuddered as tumultuous winds from a sand storm rushed up to buffet their plunge toward the planet's surface. The crew members jostled within their harnesses, their panic and fear washing over her. Closing her eyes, she soaked in their emotions and then expanded her influence over the Force; encasing their transport in Its supportive grasp until they had safely landed at the limits of the abandoned city.

Whorls of sand and wind assaulted the ship upon her break from concentration. Rising from her seat, the Sith Master exited the cockpit and then impressed her finger within the ramp release. Adorning herself in a hooded cloak, she made her way down the ramp into the blistering conditions outside. There was much work to be done.

[Sevrin]

His breathing echoed audibly within his mask, filtering out the dust and debris to provide the cleanest and yet stalest air it could muster. Goggles fit perfectly above the mask, the bridge of his nose ending the bottom portion and transitioning to his eye protection. Atop all of that, a tan colored cloak with a hood drawn overtop, wrapped about his neck then descending down his back. The vapor trail left behind from the ship caught his attention, and macrobinoculars were lifted to watch it's path of descent: Oasis City.

Sevrin threw his leg overtop the speeder bike, flipping the switch on the console between his legs. The engine flared to life, and he kept it in neutral though twisted the handle, revving the engine and purging it of any sand. Lowering his torso, he took the vehicle out of neutral and rotated his wrist on the right side handlebar. The speeder bike shot forward, and with a lean to his left he emerged from beneath a rocky outcropping and shot across the dune covered landscape.

The sand whipped against his goggles, but the Force aided him, navigating around stone pillars and into a tight canyon. He leaned left and right, sweeping in a serpentine fashion through an equally shaped passage. The engine kicked harder as he accelerated off a raised ledge to a fifteen foot drop. The speeder kicked out to the right midair, so when it landed it fishtailed a moment and started a new course, dodging a rocky outcropping. Before he passed a destroyed gate, he circumvented the buried remains of a rather large droid.

The bike kicked on, moving through a closed in cave and into a stone filled structure. An abnormal breath in the wall gave him a means to skip what he referred to as the graveyard, a location of cargo containers, storage structures and prefab housing. It took him through an adjacent canyon, just on the outskirts of Oasis City and towards the stationary ship. He arrived in time to spot Jezebella descending the ramp and gearing herself adequately.

His leg swung over the bike and he slid off it, the vehicle bobbing in it's hovered state a moment then righting to the proper level. He moved swiftly towards the woman, pausing before her. He paused a moment, looking to her expendable entourage, before bowing himself. When he rose, he pulled his respirator low around his neck and slid his goggles up to the crown of his head. "Master." He greeted her. "So glad you could join me. The womprats do not make adequate company."

He'd been dispatched in advance of Jezebella, scouting and getting the lay of the lands. "I've found what you're looking for." He delivered the words she would wish to hear, never a disappointment.

[Xander Blackmoore]

The young monarch still could not shake the image he had seen from the mirror. Danger was guaranteed, but he still chose to follow Jezebella Shadana. The king rarely saw pleasent tidings anymore when using his gift of farseeing. It was his forte, a blessing and a curse. His attire was designed for the planet. Tan pants to protect his legs, boots which came to his calves of the same color for his feet. His torso was covered by his leather breastplate, and arms wrapped to keep them protected. He wore a crimson colored cloth which wrapped around his head and face for protection from the elements. Xander's belt carried both halves of his saber staff as well as two hunting knives. His bow and quiver of arrows also rest over his shoulder. Xander had seen disaster, and he came prepared for it.

His own ship followed and landed at a distance from where Jezebella had landed. His goal was to ensure she did not discover he was being followed. The knight had not come alone, but his guest did not need to be disturbed. There were still things which needed to happen post flight which his servant would take care of, but Xander insisted on surveying the area through the force. There were two force signatures, odd, Xander had not known Jezebella to have an apprentice. Perhaps she did. Four other signatures could be sensed, but they were mundane. The four would likely not survive what was to come. Xander was unsure. His vision had not been too clear. All he knew was Jezebella was not going to have as easy a task as she had hoped for.

The dark haired king stopped at the door which belonged to the guest quarters. With a few knocks, Xander announced his presence and spoke.

"They are moving out. We had best do so as well if we wish to remain close enough that we do not lose them. I can track them, but no promises if we happen upon a storm."

[Jezebella Shadana]

There was a mechanical hiss behind the Sith Master, overheard despite the howling wind's best attempts to drown it out. Her hood was pulled over her head and a crimson scarf was fixed in place over her nose, her cloak whipping around her wildly. Turning a petulant glare over her shoulder, she watched the crew she assembled as they lowered the all-terrain speeders from the cargo bay of the ship via a lift. Her attention did not linger on them long, for soon she felt the signature of her apprentice drawing nearer to their location. He rode up on his own speeder bike and swiftly dismounted, striding toward her in his traditional determined gait. Her eyes conveyed pleasure in seeing him, her mouth concealed beneath the gauzy fabric of her scarf.

"I don't imagine they would." She responded curtly, clearly not in the mood to mince words over things like womprats. Rather than waiting for him to expound on precisely what he'd found and where it resided, Jezebella stepped in close to her apprentice; placing a gauntlet ensconced hand upon his sand and wind chapped cheek. She exhibited her control over the Force then, plucking snippets of what he'd seen from his mind via the connection they shared as master and apprentice. Elation erupted within her and she took a step back, the exhilaration she felt brimming her yellow-red eyes. "You have done well, Sevrin. We will set out immediately."

She turned away from him briefly, to see how the crew fared in their preparations. They were all mounted on their vehicles, fully stocked with ammunition, and ready to depart. Lucky for them. The Sith Master motioned them forward and then straddled the back end of Sevrin's speeder bike, waiting for him to join her so they could be on their way.

The droids could be a problem for them. We mustn't lose them, for I may have need of them once we reach the inner sanctum. She told her apprentice through their telepathic link, relying on the images he'd conveyed of the droids that provided the only obstacle between her and what she'd come for.

[Sevrin]

His Master approached him to bring them into more personal quarters, her taloned gauntlet edging closer to his face. The tips disappeared from his periphery and scraped against his cheek lightly. He at first felt a warmth at her touch, which melted away as she plied the Force into the feeling of a freezing liquid. It drained through his skull and down to the base of his brainstem, prompting a tingle to radiate across the back of his head and stand his hairs on end.

He accepted her praise, but did not dwell on it beyond the momentary pleasure at fulfilling his primary task. She had dictated they were to set out immediately, and so he wasted no time in drawing his goggles down and affixing the mask back over his face. He gave a brief tug of his cowl to ensure it was in place. When she turned back to him and moved for his speeder, he was already prepared to once more navigate the terrain. He moved to join the Sith Master on his speeder bike, full expecting the course of action she took that would place him on the rear of his bike.

Understood. He remarked mentally to Jezebella. Since they were not to be distractions, as he assumed at first, but beings with an actual tangible use he decided to clue them in to some of the dangers ahead. It wouldn’t do to lose one for lack of information. Sweeping his bike into the path of the others, he blocked their forward progress to speak to the quartet. “Most of the cities defenses are down. I spotted at least two droids that still linger. They are wired to communicate intrusion, so if we alert one, be prepared to deal with two.”

The Epicanthix followed up the warning by drawing his blaster rifle up and resting it across the handlebars of his particular model of speeder. The others, seeing the method of preparation from one of their cohorts also took up weaponry in different ways. Sevrin, satisfied enough, raised a hand and gestured it in a circular fashion to signify they were moving out. A plume of dust erupted behind him as he snapped the bike left with the sharp acceleration, causing the tail end to fishtail out briefly and the engine to rev up as it sought to gain the friction needed for propulsion.

The speeders narrowed off into straight lines as they passed through the breach in the sandstone walls, moving between buildings of similar construction. Spotting one of the droids ahead, he detoured their entourage towards the central expanse in efforts to avoid it. They passed through a small oasis, likely the namesake of the city, and kicked up water as they passed over a shallow puddle. From an alley to their left ahead, and with no alternate course to take, a droid emerged and turned on them.

The speeders spread out, instead of remaining single file, and one of the four fired their weapon on the droid. A shrill alarm resounded, and as warned Sevrin expected the second to join them from where they had formerly passed it, likely on their flank.

[Xander Blackmoore]

They were moving out, which meant Xander had to as well. There were two speeder bikes, and Xander's traveling companion was sure to be able to find them when ready to do so. In the meantime, Xander did not wish to lose them. The monarch tried to catch the conversation happening between master and apprentice, but he was too far away, and the mental barriers too high for his skill. The female master was strong in the dark side, and it would be foolish for him to try and break through.

Dust trails would be easy to follow as long as Xander kept them in sight. A dust storm was his main concern in losing their trail. Though his own trail would give way to the group they were being followed. He had to hope the crew was so set on their desitnation they missed him tailing them. Of course Xander had left his own apprentice behind. Herr aura would have given him away immediately, and Xander could not have that.

The Knight did not know what he was heading into, but the dark side warned him of something dangerous. Dark images of what he had seen in the mirror would drive him past whatever lay between him and the scene which he had seen. Naturally everything was up to interpretation, but this had been so real. Xander had been placed there. He would stop at nothing to keep what he had seen from happening. That's why he pressed on regardless of what the dark side was telling him.

[Jezebella Shadana]

A discernible warning rippled through the Force long before the path they followed led them straight in front of one of the droids Sevrin had told them about. Before the klaxons could sound, before the initial bolts were loosed from the blasters of the crew; a saber hilt was removed from beneath her cloak and brandished off to the side. A dark crimson blade soared forth from the emitter and Jezebella brought up one leg, bracing it against the seat of the speeder her apprentice steered. When he guided them closer to the droid, she leapt toward it and hacked her weapon down with a double grip against the dome-shaped deflector shield the droid boasted. Energy crackled and blaster bolts sailed by her, her body suspended mid-air as she muscled her way through the droid's defense; the shield giving way to the superior edge of her Qixoni blade. When the dome dissipated, her saber sliced cleanly through the droid's metal exoskeleton, splitting it in two.

Before her, the four crew members she had hired and Sevrin had eliminated the shields on the second droid that had rounded the corner ahead. She disengaged her own weapon and slowly stalked toward where it engaged them, knowing that her apprentice and his saber Iniquitous would bring an end to the second droid before assistance from her was necessary. The Sith Master paused briefly before rejoining them, turning her hellish gaze over her shoulder in the direction in which they'd come. She had not anticipated being followed. It mattered little. Whoever had tracked them would not stop her from getting what she'd come here for.

[Sevrin]

The mercenaries that accompanied them were smart enough to spread out, and use their mobility to their advantage. If they hadn't been, he would have been forced to stand and defend them. To act as their shield. When his Master vacated the rear seat, his own saber was drawn. He held it out at a horizontal plane, and swept through for a fast strike while still mounted on the speeder bike. The droid began to turn on it's four legs, pivoting slowly and revealing it's weakness of full mobility.

The gand, from another angle, unleashed two successive shots from it's slug thrower. The droid's shields rippled under the onslaught. Other mercenaries continued their onslaughts, while Sevrin persisted in sweeping in for strikes the moment it began to turn. The ancient droid's leg finally buckled underneath the stress of it's constant movement, right on time for a blaster bolt to flare the shields and drop them completely. Sevrin was well timed, engine kicking full throttle as he came in to bisect the droid. It collapsed, and he pulled his speeder around towards his Master.

"Something bothering you?" He offered his hand to his Master, to aid her back onto his speeder. By now his lightsaber, the gift from Jezebella, was back in place at his waist. His own eyes scanned the horizon, finding what she perhaps sensed. He hadn't sensed it, beyond the scope of his present capabilities, but even he could tell the difference between a sandstorm and a trail from engines. "Their was nothing living in my time here. This is a newcomer." He assured her, glancing to the mercenaries, then back to her. "Do we deal with it?"

[Xander Blackmoore]

Xander stopped behind a large pile of sagebrush, a battle was taking place and he was sure to be discovered if he kept moving forward. Unfortunately the dust cloud he had caused did not dissipate quick enough and his senses could tell he had been spotted. He could either make himself known or wait it out. The cloud would dissipate and perhaps his trail would be attributed to the wind. Xander would conjure a wind storm if the use of the force would not give him away completely. His only option was to remain still, hoping he would not be discovered.

The droids were not what he had seen, so there had been no reason to make himself known. All he could hope for was that the drive for what Jezebella was after would make her ignore the obvious. She was being followed. The Knight felt the presence of her apprentice reach out to sense what was near. Fortunately he was not skilled enough to discern Xander, but perhaps his force signature could be felt. The master would sense it for sure if she tried.

[Jezebella Shadana]

The Sith Master accepted her apprentice's hand, swinging her leg over the rear seat of the speeder. The multitude of buckles and leather straps of her attire tightened with the motion, constricting briefly before she slid her booted foot against the peg. Her fingers glided along his forearm, the nook of his elbow, along his bicep, and then finally looped around his shoulder to fall in place along his waist. She turned her head one more time, allowing her senses to fan out across the area. She felt no malicious intent from this unexpected collateral but they desired to remain hidden. Their true intentions would be known in time and now that she was so close to her prize, she was in possession of no small amount of patience.

"Let him hide, Sevrin. He will make his intentions known to us soon. For now, I am eager to see what you have found." She whispered against his cowl. If they used force to uncover this mystery, it was likely that they might lose the mercenaries and that would not do. She motioned for the crew to resume following Sevrin and then leaned her chest against his back, wrapping her arms around his middle tightly.

[Sevrin]

"So long as they don't interfere." He spoke to his Master in a lowered tone. He knew this was important to her, and faithfully helping her would only see him with reward. It was the duty, as he understood it, of an Apprentice to serve the Master for the sake of training, and he was putting forth what was owed. The time he had spent on Darvannis had been taken seriously, and he knew exactly where to take Jezebella. He throttled up on the speeder bike, and leaned off to the side, spinning the back end out to adjust their course.

Kicking the engines harder, the bike launched through the rest of the city. Flanked once again by speeders on each side, they approached a large warehouse at the end of Oasis City. "Up ahead he should loose sight of us, then a brief span and we go indoors." At least temporarily. He knew the full layout of what they were working with by now, enough to draw a map if need be strictly from memory. The bike passed through the large warehouse, in one side and out another. The large structure would impede the view of their pursuer no doubt, and cause him to give chase rather than watch from a distance.

Their speeder moved across a last span of dessert to the side entrance to a palace, ascending stairs to the small opening. He slowed to a crawl, and stopped just outside the entrance, aiding his Master off first before disembarking himself. Danger ahead. Their are droids within. Some functioning, some not. Different from the ones before. I counted four different times, but its hard to say which will be active. He'd seen at least one in action, spitting large domes of energy that pulsed painfully with electrical currents that dissipated after a short time. They were easily avoidable for those capable with the Force, however.

He led her into the chamber, a second story balcony with glass shattered out to overlook a droid storage center. A console was burned out, barely noticeable for what it used to be. The elevator behind was destroyed, unusable. Beneath their were rows of droids, what looked like space to sit 4 across about 4 rows deep. Some were missing, others were junk, but for the ones still active they blended seamlessly with the junked ones. Their mercenary compatriots moved to affix ascension cables, for the sake of lowering themselves. He warned them, as if genuinely interested in their safety. "Best to let us go down first."

He leapt down first, to lead the way. His lightsaber was in hand immediately. With two steps, he felt the danger before he saw it. A black humanoid shaped droid engaged some sort of thrusters that launched it at Sevrin. He spun, engaged the blade and sheared off the retractable blade and wrist join of the droid that sought to harm him. From above, the mercenaries opened first, careful not to hit their employer's Apprentice but taking the shots they could.

[Xander Blackmoore]

Xander had no choice but to increase his speed and come closer to the group he was tracking, much closer than he had wanted to get. He would be made out for sure if anyone who knew him turned to look. Fortunately only one knew him, the only one he was not stronger than. While they had not met directly, Xander had her daughter as his apprentice, which hopefully would be a factor in keeping him alive. The danger Xander had foreseen was coming soon, a sense of it quaked in his bones. He did not like this feeling, even for a Sith.

It seemed the trail was on foot from this point forward, and Xander immediately drew his twin hilts at the sound of blaster fire. Guard droids, different than the ones Xander had observed before, and this time more of them. Recklessness filled his thoughts as the force pushed his legs into the fray of battle. Leaping into the air, Xander's violet blades came crashing down upon one of the active droids. The result saw the droid sliced in pieces before the Knight was moving to dispatch yet another droid.

His presence and face were now revealed, Xander took to the minds of the Sith which were in the chamber. "There is more danger on this journey than just these droids. I have seen it. Master Shadana, your sister sends her regards."

[Razielle Van-Derveld]

She could hear him. Xander had been there to tell her they had arrived and that Nemeseia's party was moving out in search of what they perceived as their prize. She was aware, but Razielle's mind was not firmly rooted in the present at the best of times, and now it had been propelled into the near future. Watching. Learning. Each decision leading to another set of outcomes. Some lead into pain. Some to madness. Some to death. Living beings had come to this world, but not all of them would be leaving it.

As she sat there in the guest quarters of Xander's ship, her fingers lifted and twitched rhythmically. Pinkie, third, middle, index. Over and over again in random combinations as though she were playing the ivory keys of some unseen keyboard before her, in a soundless melody. Imagery flashed through her farseeing eyes as the Darkside of the Force had her in it's grip, inflicting the seemingly unconnected images into her mind.

Jezebella.

An unfamiliar world. Not the dusty heat of Darvannis, but someplace....wetter. Jungles, such as on their mother world, Dathomir. Only.. the stench of a thousand bogs was creeping into her senses, making her want to gag. Not Dathomir.

Pinkie, third, middle, index fingers moving in a slow wave of motion.

The roar of a multitude of animal species crying out as one pierced her sensitive lupine ears. Something stirred their cries. They were responding to The Call...

Pinkie, third, middle, index fingers tapping in rapid vexation.

Power such as she had never known coursed through her for a moment, tantalizing her with it's unstoppable wrath. For a second she was no longer a sentient single being, she was The Darkside itself and she would have her vengeance. A thousand blades rose before her with a single will..

Desire for that power returned her to the present. She must take the first step down the path ahead, time was already moving on...

Her eyes opened. She could smell blood. Knowing the source by now, Razielle wiped with agitation at the trickle where it had leaked from her nostril, smearing it across her cheek. She rose, urgency motivating her to get to her sister. She had to tell her what she had seen.

And Xander had left her...

Her bloodshot violet eyes narrowed at that, but that was a conversation for another time. More important was that she reach Nemeseia...

[Jezebella Shadana]

Boots crunched down upon broken glass, her svelte frame tilting forward to look out onto the floor where various droids were scattered. The Dark Side warned her of the danger; regardless, she took another step that allowed her to plummet the single story down behind her apprentice. He stepped forward and that seemed to lure the attention of the eroded droids instantly, her eyes darting toward the one that engaged Sevrin. A larger droid rose to attention, as well, just beyond where they clashed; its massive arms lifting and the barrels affixed to their ends beginning to glow as it gathered a powerful blast in each. Lightning arced from her finger tips, splintering across the droid's metal body and redirecting its attention to her. She cast her saber forward, exerting effort in the Force to direct the blade through its upraised arms. The floor shook as the arm canons fell to it, the blasts it had amassed dwindling as power was cut. The saber swung back into her grasp with ease and she turned a stare upward just in time to catch sight of the man that had been tracking them. He dispatched a droid before her and then spoke, dispersing the mystery that clung to his presence.

"Razielle..." She whispered, her amber eyes locked upon him as he moved forward to take on another droid. This was meant to be a discrete operation but the Force had willed it to be otherwise. She thrust away from the ground just in time to dodge a large pulsing blast fired from a droid very much like the first she had dismantled, her boots skidding against the floor until she came to a halt. She raised her hand, prepared to issue more lightning. Then, she stopped, knowing she had to conserve her strength for what was to come. "I grow weary of this...." She growled under her breath, starting forward at a jog, then a sprint. Her hungry blade snarled as she ducked beneath more volleys, swinging her saber up to bite into the droid's middle. It took a moment but she managed to slice all the way through; her eyes sweeping past it as it fell to pieces to find the exit. Beyond that, her destiny.

"Sevrin.." She murmured, knowing the utterance of his name would be the only word she need speak.

[Sevrin]

His eyes turned to the impending danger, in time to see Jezebella unleash a torrent of lightning that stole the flanking droids attention away. The frontline droid he combat thrust it's other arm forward, and Sevrin spun and dropped his weapon in a vertical strike. With a slight diagonal to the attack, the head was shorn from the stalky shoulders and the droid collapsed, the head hitting the floor well before it's 'knee's' even touched the ground.

Twin blades suddenly sprung into the battle, and Sevrin had to trust that the Force did not warn him to not wheel about on their intruder. Instead he was given a message, and coupled with Jezebella's minced words, he knew what needed to be done. Another droid, like the one Jezebella had combat, turned and fired it's twin cannons his way. He played defensively, deflecting bolts at first errantly than with purpose. A larger droid, the one capable of deploying spheres of energy, received the brunt of the redirected attacks. Something must have scrambled it's friend or foe identifier in the blaster bolts that scorched it's body, because it deployed the temporary pulsating dome of electricity at Sevrin's attacker, both droids taking each other out indirectly.

The Mercenaries meanwhile took cover as the fourth type of droid deployed a cutting laser, a straight beam of energy fixed on the glass paneling they hit behind. It was strong enough to resist, but melting slowly. He advanced on it quickly, but his pace slowed when it turned and redirected it's attack. His blade absorbed the straight beam, unable to reflect but overpowering it enough to dissipate it still. He pressed inward, stalking carefully and defensively in case he needed to redirect the path of his blade, until finally his left hand broke free of his hilt. The droid was lifted up, slammed to the roof above, then brought down harshly in a heap.

The rest of the droids were dealt with by the remainder of their entourage, and Sevrin finally turned towards their unexpected guest, keeping his lightsaber lit but held loosely at his side. "Friend of yours Master?" The mercenaries were unsure how to involve themselves, torn in lowering or raising their weapon in that instant.