Drawing Nearer Destiny

[Karthon Vanar]

The freighter landed with a thud and the landing ramp fell forward, stamping its authority down upon the ground. Karthon was unceremoniously dumped overboard, hands and feet still bound. He could see, though barely. His eyes were still adjusting to being out of the thick metal cage, which had been his prison for many days. There was no life here, he could see nothing but a barren landscape but he could feel something deeper. His body felt deathly hungry, it had been forced to feed inwardly for many days now. While in transit his captors had distanced themselves from him at all times, obviously they knew the danger, even if the Stennes Shifter was still blind to his own bodies paradox.

One of the human's that had dumped him stood over his bound body with a smirk.

"Your kind should find this planet perfect, a dead world for a dead species, at least if I had my way."

The pair and their captive obviously had no idea where they had landed or what significance this world could hold. The human levelled his foot kicking Karthon squarely in the chest, giving a laugh as he did so.

Pain shot through Karthon's weakened body but his captor had already made the mistake, contact...
Quickly the human backed away from his victim, still the contact had fed Karthon's senses, the pain giving way to a small amount of clarity. The Stennes Shifter was still unsure as to why his body suffered these torments at all. His almost lifelong slavery had given opportunity for few meetings with any of his kind and he had found no answers among strangers.

His captor staggered slightly, reeling from the contact and retreating to his companion whom had also descended the landing ramp.

"W..We should just kill the beast to be sure." He stuttered.

"No we have been paid to punish the slave for running. Besides there is no hope for him here, we've picked the perfect place, it smells of death."

(ooc: Hope this is an okay introduction to the board, please do what you like to the other characters.)

[Adraudia Basillie]

Ch'hodos indeed was a planet filled with death. No life could be sustained here, save for a few plants that could survive the harsh conditions of a desert. Its surface was covered with red rocks and swirling with dust storms; its sky was a sea of red. There was no escaping its dismal conditions, nor the secretive people who called this planet home.

Adraudia remained crouched behind a mass of boulders that were cracked and worn from being weathered. She wasn't alone. Arriana had been ordered by their common Master, Dalethria, to accompany her. It was an odd pairing, and the Dathomir Witch wondered if her comrade still held a grudge against her.

Their orders were simple. Head to their landing sight and scout out who was landing on the planet. If they were not affiliated with the operations here, kill them all and seize the ship. Both of the women remained silent, while Adraudia listened in on the conversation through enhancing her hearing. It was obvious what their intent was and didn't know of the Sister's involvement here. A chance that could not be taken. All unbelievers that touch the sands of Ch'hodos must die.

With silent acknowledgement to her partner, she pointed to the crewman reeling in pain and then to the newcomer. Adraudia then produced a dagger from her hip and clamped it down between her teeth. She crept forward, out of sight, using the landscape to her advantage to stay hidden. It also helped that the two humans were more focused upon their captive.

The two women remained in silent contact with one another until Adraudia stopped. There was no more cover that could be used in order to get closer, but she was close enough and called to her companion through their shared link.

NOW!!!

She was fast. Adraudia had already leapt into the air, using the flattened stone that was once cover, as a launching point. The two men were stunned, confused as to where this woman had come from. They had hesitated in defending themselves and that was enough time for the two Sister's to finish them off. Adraudia had removed the dagger from her teeth and threw the weapon at her intended victim. He wasn't expecting such an attack, nor was he expecting a dagger lodge into his throat. The shot that he was trying to aim went wide, hitting the side of the ship harmlessly.

When the Witch landed, she was crouched on her one hand and feet, already producing another dagger from her hip, sneering down at her next victim. Karthon.

[imported_Arriana Rezner]

While the Witch delivered death on swift wings to her first victim, Arriana dispatched his counterpart. The duo had moved on their prey in a pincer motion that made escape impossible, and within seconds of betraying their positions to Sith pair had killed two of the three present. It was not with a knife, but with a lightsaber, that the woman in red felled the second man, performing two well-placed swipes that cut his body clean in half. The deed done, she gave his upper torso a kick, and watched with a smile as the halves fell into the dust. With a little spin of the dual-ended light-staff, she turned her attention to the prisoner. “What have we here, sister?”

[Karthon Vanar]

Karthon's thoughts were clouded in shadow, this desolate world would be his tomb. He could see no hope here, nothing but a barren waste stretched out to the tip of the horizon. Just as he was about to abandon himself to despair, he heard a blaster, movement, then an alarming choking sound. A figure swept passed his vision, moving like the wind, then another followed her bringing a gruesome fate for his captors. He had no love for the men that had hunted him like animal, for what they had put him through but the bloody scene panicked Karthon. He pulled against his restraints, trying to get a hand free but it was no use. His hands and legs had been securely fastened and he was going nowhere.

The face looking down at him burned, a terrible vision set against this bland landscape. He saw the knife in her hand and the glint in her companion's eyes. He had seen it a thousand times when others looked at him, though never so potent, perhaps this was truly the end.

Even now this precariously close to death, his body was searching for some salvation from this dead world, it sought some form of energy to replenish its own hunger. He felt nothing in the ground or the surroundings, the shell of his former self had no resource of which to draw upon, yet something was here distant or unseen. He reached out unwittingly, trying a slow sap of energy from the two strong figures now close to him. The current was subtle yet present and rejuvenating, though his minds focus had been blunted from prolonged isolation.

The Stennes Shifter realized the danger of his situation and that one wrong word would mean his fate would match that of his captors. Fortunately many years lived in slavery had made him well versed at appeasing or avoiding punishment.

"Spare my life, I am no threat to you. Take all that you want for I owe you both my life... Mistresses."

Although the attempt may prove futile, he faked a well practiced, submissive tone. In reality he felt no fear from violence, having experienced it all his life, indeed death for him might actually prove a release. The only fear he felt was from the actual presence of these two strangers, something distinctly foreboding in their manner worried him greatly.

[Adraudia Basillie]

Adraudia's head and shoulders weaved back and forth like a serpents as she sized up Karthon. "Prey, Sister." The knife twirled between the Witch's fingers in rhythm with her movement. "It matters not that he is bound. His blood shall be soaked up by the earth in tribute to our goddess."

It did not surprise her that the slave spoke, attempting to talk his way out of death. His words did not impress her in the least. "Your gratitude means nothing to me, male." Her eyes narrowed and the knife stopped dancing in her hand. Adraudia's hand covered the hilt fully and the blade was pointed at the ground. "All I want from you is your death."

[imported_Arriana Rezner]

“Perhaps…” Adraudia was the more zealous of the pair. Arriana suspected this could be attributed to her time with the Dathomir witches, who probably commanded this level of fanatical loyalty. “But perhaps he will have some use yet. Perhaps he has been brought here for a reason?” she hazarded, still not fully understanding the concept of Vicet’s will which the Sisters bandied about so carelessly.

[Karthon Vanar]

Karthon sniggered, quite out of context at Adraudia's remark, the thought of his own death was strangely comforting. The witch's tone and the pair's presence had stirred something inside him.

His body began to open up, senses finding a firmer hold on the present. The life force of these women had vigor about it, not unlike he had felt on Corellia with the boy. He had taken such anger from him but that paled to what he was beginning to feel now. The Stennes Shifter gave in to the feeling, a wave of indulgence crackling from head to toe, as his spirit consumed strength from the two women. He still didn't fully understand why but his body was feeling a new lease of life. He only hoped neither woman would realize just what was going on, until he had a chance to indulge the craving further. Subtlety was gradually slipping away, replaced by an insidious flow he wasn't containing.

Karthon became deadly still, his eyes now held the same hint of malice that he had at first feared. He heard what was being discussed, his own death. Perhaps it was time for a different tact, one that in his frame of mind seemed perfectly rational.

He turned his head to Arriana.

"Reason? There is no reason, no fate. Nothing save what you can touch, torment and subdue. For that is all life is."

He turned back to Adraudia and his eyes were burning, he almost wanted to say do your worst. To brandish the words like a weapon.

"What a glorious tribute I shall make, ready captured and bound. I am sure the one you make it too will be all too impressed with the leftover scraps you offer. "

The anger was beginning to seethe in him now, memories of what brought him here were grating inside of him. The faces of those who had hunted him, enslaved and tortured him were surfacing, fueled by this newly insurgent emotion he was unable to either embrace or contain.

[Adraudia Basillie]

"Even a fool as yourself can foresee your own death! Cherish the blessing we give you, male..."

Adraudia paused her hand that was about to swipe the dagger across the trespassers throat. Her body was tense, fighting between the urge to kill and to stand down. Karthon watched as her eyes dilated so wide that the whites of her iris' had become thin saucers. She was seething with anger and frustration as he body would not obey her commands. There could be only one explanation.

"Damnable 'pede. Why stay my hand?!"

The symbiote that was firmly implanted upon her brain had taken over the Witch's body. It had become alert of the strange aura that Karthon had been radiating. The Force around him was distorted and being cleansed away from the area. It could not comprehend why the being was able to do this, only preserve its will to protect itself and its host until it was certain of the alien's power. Adraudia would be unleashed after the situation was understood.

Slowly Adraudia's breathing became controlled, not erratic as before. The centipede caused her adrenal glands to slow its production of hormones to bring the Witch under further control. She wasn't complacent, merely the need to kill quickly had been removed, but the symbiote was ready to release the Witch once Arriana had assessed the situation. As powerful as an alley to Vicet's cause was Adraudia, she wasn't know for using logic in confusing situations, as this one had quickly become.

[imported_Arriana Rezner]

“As I said… perhaps he has been brought here for a reason,” Arriana repeated, fixing Adraudia with an unwavering stare. Unlike her Sister, the Kalish Sith did not play host to one of Vicet’s parasites, though the Goddess did watched over her regardless. The women in her hand still active, she strode towards the Shifter and, seizing his jaw, turned his face upwards so that his eyes met hers. “All of that anger… think of the potential….”

[Karthon Vanar]

Where as the Stennes Shifter's body had levelled out, his own force aura was in flux. A contradiction of the negative and positive clashing together, his force sensitivity was possibly also becoming apparent to the observant. Karthon's body had all but ceased drawing on the strength around him, for now it was appeased.

His voice became quite calm as he spoke to Adraudia, he could see her hesitancy and wished to push it over the edge.

"Why not hand me the knife and I'll show you just how much you might cherish such a blessing."

For some reason his tone was condescending, trying to goad her, provoke her into a response. Some part of him sensed that her knife might just be better than the alternative that was in store for him.

Karthon felt Arriana grab his jaw and cursed. Though it was likely Arriana would feel a growing tingling in her hand. Physical contact was probably not advisable with Karthon, at least not till he had a chance to recover.

He heard the word potential and disliked the way he was being branded. Karthon looked directly at Arriana, his face was defiant, his voice filled with the forceful emotion he had consumed.

"No power in this life has the strength to bind me into slavery again!"

The Stennes Shifter had led a very confined existence, not experiencing much outside of his own prison, perhaps he didn't realise just whom he was challenging to put that to the test.

Karthons uncontrolled abilities had been used without his consent in the past, his old keeper a master of bending them to his service. Many times he had used Karthon's presence to slowly deplete and temper any resistance in the slaves, to keep them in line. All this without anyone, especially Karthon having the slightest idea what was going on.

[Adraudia Basillie]

Karthon could see the anger seething within her eyes. If her body was her's to command, she would have slit his throat, yet the Witch remained still. There was only the slight movement of her shoulders to convey she was breathing.

Then it all changed.

Adraudia dropped the knife as the horrified centipede chittered rapidly inside her head. It realized the danger that Arriana had placed herself in. With the Witch under its control, there was no hesitation. The distance between them wasn't at all great, and Adraudia tackled her Sister away from the alien.

[imported_Arriana Rezner]

Arriana yelped as she hit the ground. She looked up into Adraudia’s eyes, enraged. If there was anything that was sure to lessen, further, this creatures likelihood of complying with them, it was a show of conflict between the Sisters themselves. “What?!”

[Karthon Vanar]

Karthon braced as he saw Adraudia tackle Arriana to the ground. He began wondering if their bloodlust had not yet abated and more importantly if he would be next. He wriggled again but it was pointless, he still couldn't get free or even find a foothold to get off the ground.

Karthon looked on in interest as they paused, had they realised? He gulped, hoping his previous over indulgence in their strength had gone unnoticed. The Stennes Shifter still didn't understand anything about his nature, only that he hadn't fought the urge this time and that was what worried him.

He tried to roll closer to where the dead men's bodies were, hoping the distraction would buy him some valuable seconds. Scrambling for some sort of key, he twisted and contorted his body, desperately searching the dead men with his cuffed hands.

"Come on, no time!" He muttered to himself agitatedly.

Finally some luck! He felt a key on one of the dead men's waist and managed to rip if off his belt.

Now if only he could actually get the key in the restraining braces. Maybe if he turned like this and moved his elbow this way...

[Adraudia Basillie]

She backed off like a scolded dog, craning her neck towards the ground in an apologetic manner. "I .... Sorry, Sister.

Apologies did not come easy for Adraudia. She was possibly more stubborn then even her Nebari Sister, Tirsa, which was saying alot. Arriana watched as her Sister's arms shook and it was becoming difficult to keep herself steady by using the ground as support. The adrenaline rush was not being conducive towards the struggle any longer and the centipede back down, allowing the host's body to assume control slowly.

"Tis the 'pede in me head! It sensed danger from the Alien.... Was protecting you...."

Her head remained lowered in a submissive stance, unaware of what Karthon was doing.

[imported_Arriana Rezner]

Through her haze of anger, Arriana caught sight of the escape attempt in process. She began to struggle to her feet, aching from her impact with the hard ground beneath her. “And yet you have accomplished the exact opposite!” she scolded once more, quickly attempting to wrench the key from Karthon’s grip, with the Force.