Return To Elrood

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

The small Corvette touched down on the Elrooden Starport landing pad, its repulsorlifts hissing as it settled. A couple of Techs came running over to the small vessel as the side door opened. Poking her head out, Dalethria felt a strong breeze whipped the small strands of hair around her face. Closing her eyes, she took in the pleasant mixture of aromas coming from the Bazaar. Looks like the landing pad was close to the tapcafs and restaurants and it was her stomach growling, reminding her that it was quite sometime that she ate.

The Captain of the ship hit the side panel and the ramp came down slowly. Dalethria didn't bother to wait. She jumped off and landed gracefully on the ground. Her arms raised to stretch out the sore muscles from sleeping in the small confined ship and relished in being free once again. She was very fortunate that she could find a ride off of Mundo Codru on such short notice. After what happened, her extended stay away from the Empire just became longer. Adjusting the empty scabbard on her back, Dalethria would have to find a metalsmith here to forge her broken sword, that Summoner gave her, back together.

Damn him. Damn Rama Sha.

Grabbing the small bundle that was her belongings now, she made her way out in the Bazaar proper.

Just as it was when she met Tondry not too long ago, the minds of hundreds of aliens and humans hit her hard. This time she was prepared though. Slowly brick by brick, a mental shield erected before her eyes and all the voices went started to go away. Silence never sounded so beautiful to her. Dalethria might go crazy with what is happening to her but she would be damned if it would be because she couldn't find her own thoughts in a sea of chaos.

Walking through the thick crowd of merchants and customers, her thoughts brought her back to when she was last here. It was a day like this and about this time of year when the Bazaar would have the most traffic coming through. She ended her ties with the Legion, disillusioned that her path was to serve the Dark Side. Returning to her roots before, as a smuggler, seemed to be the best course to try and find her purpose again.

A smile came slowly as she remembered. It was because of those choices that Dalethria was destined to meet Sith Kat here, not knowing what really laid ahead for her. It seem like cycles ago when it happened.

OOC~ yes this is an open RPG. I just ask that anyone that wants to be in this to write yourself in so that it makes sense why everyone be here ^_^

[Anubis Lockheart]

Anubis stretched as he sat up in his chair. He had fallen asleep at the controls of his YT-2400 as it was drifting through space. Anubis had seeked somewhere remote for him to get away from it all, and train intensly for a few days where he would not be disturbed. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he looked at the blurry navigation panel in front of him.

"Computer where are we?"

Computer: "We are in the Elrood sector and fast approaching the planet Elrood."

He thought for a moment as he stood up, looking at the planet through viewspace. He didn't know why he wanted to, but Elrood seemed to call out for him to stop there. Being trained to trusts his instincts, he couldn't refuse.

"Alright. Land on this planet. This is the perfect place for isolation."

With a few beeps and clicks the computer located a safe place to land and headed towards it's destination.

------------------------------------------------------------

A short time later the unmarked freighter landed in a small clearing amongst a rainforest. The hatch opened and Anubis looked out, viewing the area he would be staying for a while.

"Perfect."

He walked down the steps and touchdowned on Elrood. It's soft Earth was a welcome change to the hard steel floors of his ship. It was a perfect place to train, yet something felt, Amiss....

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

She didn't know how long she sat there staring into the brownish liquid of her tea. Dalethria didn't even really remember walking into Rashall's Grill. The memory of what happened must have subconsciously brought her here to physically move through the motions of what used to be. Looking around, the place hardly change. Still horribly crowded with a ton of beings waiting for tables. Of course for one of Dalethria's abilities in persuasion, the host was quite willing to seat her right away. In her booth of choice to no less.

Dalethria thought about taking another sip of her tea, but the steam had long since gone from the warm fluid. She pushed it away and cupped her chin as she placed an elbow upon the table. What to do first? She needed to find the metal components for her sabre and for that, Dalethria would need to head over to the Smugglers' Strip for something of that nature. Such things were illegal at the Bazaare. The other agenda today was the get her sword re-forged. The best place that Dalethria knew that dealt in blades was Ekkar Armaments. Going to either place was going to take about as much time. Haggling for metal or watching it being repaired? Such decisions.

The chronometer over the bar showed it was getting close to noon. Rashall's was going to get even more crowded any minute and the sabre could wait for now. Opening her pouch, Dalethria left a few coins for her tea. She grabbed her pack and carefully picked up the long cloth that had her broken sword. Looking over at the bar once more, a smile quickly formed across Dalethria's lips and then left just as fast as she turned towards the exit.

[Anubis Lockheart]

Anubis walked back into his ship, shortly returning with a few objects for his training. Picking up a stun blaster he walks over to the nearest tree, looking up he finds a good spot to perch it.Using the force he lifts the blaster from his hand, ramming it firmly into the tree, Making sure it has plenty of space to move about. He grins as he turns back to his equipment.

"One down.......This might take a while. But it'll be worth it."

As he picked up the second blaster, he felt something weird in his head. Like watching a something burn in the fire. He released the blaster from his hand and watched it fall to the ground. It almost seemed as it fell in slow motion, the blaster hitting the ground with a smack.

When he arrived on this planet, he felt the same thing happen to him. There was something on this planet that he knew. But didnt know what. Walking back into his ship, he gathered up some vital equipment while he spoke to himself.

"I must find out what that is, I must.."

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

"WHAT?! Four hundred credits? Have you gone space happy?"

The metalsmith shrugged, "Look Lady, you wanted ah price, I gave ya ah price."

Dalethria took the tip of the broken blade in her hand, "Now look. I remember Ekkar being the best, but not swindlers. The work and time it would take to fix a clean break wouldn't take that long. Hundred credits."

"What? Now your the one that's space happy. No job is worth that little. Three fifty."

She twirled the blade in her hand and smiled, "How about Hundred fifty." The blade's point came down and she slammed it into the table. "That will pay for the nic I just gave you."

The human smith crossed his arms, "I don't care about the nic. Three fifty and that's it."

Damn, she thought to herself. Her attempt to convince the merchant otherwise failed. Her eyes grew dark and she frowned. She was realizing that whatever was affecting her Force ability and spirit ran deep. Something that came so easily before just wasn't there it seemed. It was like her connection to the Unifying Force was completely gone.

[Tzvensri]

*Occasionally he spent some time away from his home on Ord Mantell, looking to earn some extra money. This was one of those times. He spent a few weeks during each year with a small booth here on Elrood, seeing what kind of work he could drum up. Blacksmithing wasn’t the most popular of professions anymore, as so many were so dependent on technology in this day and age. Such ancient skills were rarely needed, so he often came to this lavish and busy market to find extra work, besides that which his Lord on Ord Mantell required of him.

Leaning on his anvil, he looked across the marketplace at one of his competitor’s booths and spied the exchange that was taking place, with a sideways grin he had to chuckle to himself, knowing that he would probably be able to get another customer from that swindler. It was quite well known to Tzvensri that Ekkar Armaments, was far to proud of the substandard work they did, and it drove a few of their more thrifty and wise customers to seek other sources for their needs. One reason he set up so close to them, so that people could see there was an alternative.

As he watched the exchange contine he almost choked on the wine he was sipping from when he saw something on the woman doing the bargaining’s chest. Placing his goblet on the table he leaned forward some, trying to get a better look.*

“I’ll be dipped in bronze. That’s the same symbol that m’lord Trace bears. She must be one of his allies. If he finds out I didn’t offer to assist her, I could be in for some trouble.”

*He thought to himself just before he let out a shrill whistle to get her attention, rising his smith’s hammer for her to see, waving her towards him.*

[Anubis Lockheart]

After gathering up alot of necessary equipment, he packed it tightly into a back pack and struggled to zip it up. Leaving it on the ground, he walked over to a large mound that was covered by a sheet. He grinned as he walked over to it. Running his hand over the sheet feeling the lumps and curves of what lied beneath.

"Ok, If I let you out. You have to promise to work, and not try and get me killed again. YOu got that?"

He heard nothing from under the sheet as it remained motionless.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He flicked off the sheet to reveal his old speederbike. They have shared the fondest memories, the peice of junk nearly killing Anubis several times.

Placing the back pack into the back of the bike, he pushed it out into the open. He turned back to his ship, saying some orders to it.

"Ship, Activate sentinel security system and deactivate upon my return."

Anubis mounted his speeder bike and crouched low. Revving the engine trying not to focus on the accidents he has had. He set off weaving in and out of the tree's. He didn't know where he was going, he just knew that it would be important.

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

She felt eyes on her person and then the whistle came soon after. Looking behind her, a rather impressively strong human male was waving for her to come over. It was the hammer that he was holding that really got her attention. He had a simple stand that had nothing much to it like the one that Ekkar had displayed. A small table had various blades set upon it and a lone anvil was on the ground, the smith leaning on it. No wonder she didn't take any notice to the booth before. It was rather plain. Probably a good thing too.

Turning around to the smith behind the large booth, Dalethria pulled out the broken blade from the table. Saying nothing, she left Ekkar's and headed over to the human. She suppressed a chuckle and forced herself to not smirk as she heard the smith curse behind her. Something about that damn Tzvensri again. Who or what that was could only mean this being in front of her and if going to this Tzvensri would anger those swindlers more, Dalethria was all for it.

She looked over the human once more as she approached and then her eyes befell his blades. The workmanship was of a far superior quality then what Ekkar had, it was quite apparent. They had a certain shine to them that made the blades look almost twice as bright then they actually were. The lines across the blade itself were perfect. No flaws that the eye could see.

Nodding, showing that she was impressed, Dalethria looked at the man, "Well, you got my attention before. Now, you have it."

She puts the broken weapon half of the blade down and pulls out the hilt, "What say you about fixing this then?"

[Tzvensri]

There was no mistaking it now, the sphere on her chest was identical to the one that Trace had returned to Ord Mantell with from his travels with Prince Rama. Tzvensri didn’t know many details, but he did knopw that if this was one of Trace and Rama’s associates, he had best offer to do this job for her free of charge, else his livelihood on Ord Mantell may suffer.

Setting his hammer down on the table next to the blade, he lifted it with one hand and examined the break. It was a clean break, obviously not made by stress on the weapon, but burned through with what Tzvensri guessed may have been a lightsaber. Only a weapon like that could so cleanly sever such a piece of steel.

Lifting his eyes from the blade, he looked into hers, he decided to ask to clarify the situation, before he offered to fix the weapon free of charge, just on the off chance that his assumption was incorrect and he may be able to make some creds.*

“Might I ask m’lady, do you know Prince Trace Sha?”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

She watched the Smith look over her broken blade with a critical eye. Dalethria had a pretty good idea that the man knew what he was doing. His hand tilted the broken half to look at the break more clearly as his eyes narrowed in thought. Then he looked to her, not sure if he wanted to ask her something or not. Her eyes opened a little wider for a moment as if questioning him.

Outwardly, she gave no sign as if she knew her Apprentice, Trace Sha, or not. Dalethria was quite curious now as to how this seemingly regular human would know one of the Sha's.

Placing her palms down on the table, she looked at the Smith flatly, "Why do you ask?"

[Anubis Lockheart]

Anubis was fast approaching a small, what seemed to be a marketplace of some kind. He attempted to brake, but the speeder wasn't responding. He knew it was too good to be true, he was going to have to jump. So he did so, the speeder flew into someone's building. It burst into flames spraying debri everywhere.

Anubis rolled a few times, then continuing onto his feet. Standing up straight, he brushed some dirt off his chest and turned towards the market.

"Look's like I'm walking home. I wonder if this place can help me out somewhat."

With that, he headed towards the market. Concealing his weapons to show no signs of hostility, yet...

[Tzvensri]

Not surprised by her criticalness, not admitting she knew or was associated with Trace, due to what he himself knew of the Sith whom his lord had joined, Tzvensri tilted his head forward, pointing out the Chaos Sphere on her mail with his eyes. As his eyes moved up from it and met hers once again, he began to explain, while he slowly placed the broken end of her blade back on the table in front of her.

“That symbol is the same as the one m’lord Trace bears on his person. I am a resident of Ord Mantell and am in his employ. His own personal smith you could say. Though right now is one of my off times and I am here on Elrood to sell my wares, just as many of these others are.”

Pausing for a moment to allow his words to sink in, hoping that his explanation of the facts would be enough to satisfy the question she posed, he awaited her response before making his offer of fixing her weapon free of charge known.

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

If this didn't prove how small the universe was, nothing ever would. The chance that Dalethria would run into one of her Apprentice's associates was slim to none in this bizarre. Let alone someone that could help her with something so specific. She mentally thanked Vicet for guiding her here now.

She then smiled at Tzvensri with pride. He recognized the Chaos Talisman that she wore. As Kat began with her, Dalethria continued the ritual of passing down her once Master's symbol to those she trained. To those she felt worthy in combat and ability. It felt like eternity since she first received hers. Dalethria didn't like to think that there was some preordaned path that everyone was to walk. Right as your born, everything that you would become was set in stone then and there. All the heartache, wins, and losses were slated at specific times. She never really thought much of her first run in with Kat. Only that it lead her from the life of smuggling to the life of a Sith once more. It was like playing scoundrel was a way to give Destiny a slap in the face and do what she really wanted.

Kat showed her otherwise, in her own way, and now look where she was. Doing the same thing over again. Of course, it wasn't running away this time. No, it had a name. A Musha Shugyo, so in some sense it was justified.

She heard the man clear his throat and had no idea how long she was staring into space. Her cheeks reddened for being so foolish in front of another and finally answered his question.

"The symbol he bares is mine, for I am his Master."

[Anubis Lockheart]

Anubis arrived at the marketplace just after a short walk. The sun was beginning to disappear behind the clouds as they changed to a purple, orange colour. He walked up to the first stall he came across. They had a wide selection of fruit and vegetables, and some item's he had never come across before. Picking up an apple, he took a bite out of it and threw the owner of the stall some loose credits. They spilled onto the ground and she hurried to pick them up before someone else did.

He then made his way up the centre of what seemed to be the middle of the city. People were looking at him strangely, some even hiding, because of the way Anubis looked. He sratched the blue skin on his arm as he came to a standstill.

"Bah. Peasant's........Their lives are so insignificant. I should put them out of their misery. It would be doing them a favour."

His eyes came across a stall. It was hard to view as it was in between 2 others hiding it from view. An old man was watching from his little hide-away, as Anubis peered over his inventory of goods.

[Tzvensri]

He didn’t really understand the ways of the Sith, or what it meant to be one’s Master entirely, but it was quite obvious just by the sound of it that she held a position where his Lord Trace was her subordinate. That obvious fact made his decision to do this deed quite simple, and he would have done the same if she had merely been one of his comrades as well.

“I shall have your sword repaired by the morrow, m’lady. There will be no cost to m’lord’s Master.”

He stated flatly, lowering his head to her in respect, just as the last syllable passed from his lips.

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Dalethria's eyes widen in some surprise, taken aback by the generosity that the Smith had shown. Then she grinned, knowing that it was who she was and knew that got her such a fair deal on fixing her weapon. Tzvensri was very loyal and truly he would be rewarded for such a display of it. Dalethria would have to think on it some.

"Tomorrow it is then. I have some other things to take care of anyway."

She could tell it was getting towards dusk as a cooler breeze passed through the area. Looking up, the sky started to turn an orange red, the bright colors shadowing the white of the billowy clouds. Catching a shuttle soon to the Smuggler's Strip would have to be a priority. She must get those parts for her new sabre tonight for Dalethria had important plans tomorrow.

"Make sure you take good care of it. This was a wedding present."

[Anubis Lockheart]

Anubis eyes widened as he glanced over this merchant's collection. There was a rather eyecatching selection of weaponry available, all handcrafted and interesting. This was a place Anubis would have to stop at on the way back.

"Oi you..."

The merchant looked up excitedly as he thought Anubis was buying something.

Merchant:"May I help you?"

"Where is the nearest bar?"

The merchant's expression changed to a frown as he pointed across the road. It was a large building, a few people were hovering in and out as he looked at it. Anubis headed towards the bar entrance. He stopped and turned around back at the merchant, who was still standing over the counter.

"Oh... Save that for me until I get back..."

Anubis pointed to small box in the display. The merchant smiled and nodded as he put a sold sign in front of it. Anubis then faced the bar again, hoping to get a drink or two this evening.

[Tzvensri]

He lifted the two pieces of the sword from the table and placed them on another table behind him, while nodding his head at Dalethria. A thought came to mind suddenly as he turned back to face her.

“By the way m’lady, the name is Tzvensri and of course I’ll take good care of it. I do value my livelihood on Ord Mantell. It will be retuned to you, in as fine a condition as the day it was received, if not better.” He said with confidence in his voice.

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

With a slight tilt of her head, Dalethria acknowledged what he said and took one last look at her broken sword.

"You best make good on your word or I'll make sure your service to Trace Sha will be ... ended. In one form or another."

Her body began to ache somewhat. Perhaps it was the coolness of the air that started to settle in or the fact that she hadn't had a decent nights sleep in over three weeks. Needless to say, Dalethria had to make it to the Smuggler's Strip soon. An appointment needed to be kept on schedule. Rubbing her eyes that cried out for much needed rest, she turned and headed off to the nearest Monorail Station then stopped.

Turning around to look at Tzvensri, her profile almost seemed obscured by the coming shadows of dusk.

"Dalethria is what I call myself. I'll be here tomorrow."

[Anubis Lockheart]

As Anubis entered the bar, a hush settled amongst the group and then fell an eerie silence. People were looking at him strangely, but trying not to at the same time. Obviously Anubis had stumbled across a local bar and visitors were a rarity amongst them. He approached the bar and ordered a drink.

The bartender looked at him oddly while cleaning a glass, then finally stopping to mix the drink. He grabbed the bourbon as people started to talk again. Anubis walked over to an empty table, taking a seat and drinking by himself. He started to think about where he would stay the night, if anywhere at all. He still didn't know why he was here. But he knew he had to be.