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Post by Shaman Odin Alfodr on Feb 26, 2013 16:34:15 GMT -8
*Ambria's terrain consisted of rocky plains and deserts.* |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2017 12:08:35 GMT -8
The Empire-In-Exiles troops quickly swarmed over the planet, decimating the defenders and taking control of it.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2019 10:43:11 GMT -8
Traversing in a different direction away from the Temple, Mariah had grown bored of the usual wanderings to and from the meditative canyon. It had been a beast to tackle, to map, to learn, but she had done it all the same. A wanderer by nature, the Empress of the Dark Jedi had been overcome with a strange feeling of wanderlust yet again, yet she knew she would remain tied down to this piece of rock for another few months at the very least. With little else to do to bide her time now, she had wandered far from the temple and deep into Ambria's vast deserts that spanned in all directions throughout the entirety of the planet.
However, her decision proved to be an unwise one, as each sight remained the same as the last. There was nothing new, hardly anything to quench her thirst for a new sight, a new experience, new trouble that she would need to weasel her way out of or kill someone trying. A shame. Still, she continued onward. Every now and again, it was like the Force called out to her subconscious, for whatever reasons left unknown to her. So long as she made it back to the temple before dark, it mattered little to the crimson-haired woman.
The sun had nearly reached the highest part in the sky, blazing down its unbearable heat over the land. Soon, she would need to turn back, but her feet continued to move forward, as if on their own accord. She leveled with herself that she had brought enough rations to easily make it through the night if it came down to it, although it was ill-advised to be away from the Temple from one of these impromptu wanderings for too long. The nights proved to be a crueler mistress than the days here, at that. She learned to carry some form of communication device on her person, to relay back any necessities, although she preferred to be gone and back before anyone really realized.
It was only the matter of another mile, however, until she spotted something strange in the distance. The metals of a wrecked transport glimmered in the distance. Surely, it wasn't a mirage of some sort, but even then, Mariah didn't hasten her steps to reach it. At this point, anyone within had surely met their untimely death by this point. Whatever smoke and ash that once rose from the vessel had long died out, leaving her to believe that it had been there for at least some time. Her curiosity consumed her, though, and she wondered what else might lie inside. Thus, she decided that she would investigate the crash before making her way back.
The closer she reached the craft, though, the clearer a faint signature could be felt among the wreckage. Could someone truly still be alive in that mess? Hesitant as to what it could mean, be it a trap or otherwise, the crimson-haired woman kept a hand on her saber hilt as she pried open one of the doors.
Sure enough, bodies were littered throughout the inside of the vessel. Whether they had died from the crash or other means was still left uncertain, but there was an odd residual energy that left Mariah cautious. Releasing her hand from her saber hilt, she made note of the coordinates of the ship and relayed it back to the Temple so that a further investigation could take place. Still, that haunting darkness crept in the recesses of her mind, singing out to her that there was still someone still alive. Crimson eyes glanced over the bodies, until she found one in particular who didn’t appear like the rest of the crew. Him. Seven . Rushing to kneel down by his side, she could see the faint rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing, alive. She propped him up in her arms and brought a skin of water to his lips. There was no telling how long he had been out here, and forcing water down his throat, she hoped to at least keep him alive long enough until additional forces would arrive in landspeeders to get him back to the Temple and into the Med Bay.
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Seven
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Post by Seven on May 28, 2019 12:40:14 GMT -8
A wailing claxon deafened him, the noise still reverberating in his ears. His feet lost purchase as they scrabbled on loose stone, his breath came sharp and shallow, he glanced momentarily over his shoulder he could see distant shadows, the beams affixed to their rifles sweeping across the ground bouncing off the garden red sand rocks. Overhead he picked out the distant droning of repulsorlift engines as they sent craft on his trail, he ducked to his right entering a cavern, a water drop fell and touched his parched dry lips, the water was fresh, it was cool.....
Seven slowly opened his eyes, his body lurched and he coughed. He immediately regretted having done so as searing pain quite unimaginable shot through his shoulder, so severe he nearly vomitted and blacked out. He managed to send his right hand wandering across his chest up to his left shoulder where it met an obtrusion where there should not be one. His bleary eyes moved and slowly focused on a steel tube that was lodged in his shoulder.
Wait, he didn't feel as though he were on cold durasteel floor, that was then he moved his swimming head, bright specks dancing across his field of vision as he did so, he emitted a grown. Slowly his eyes adjusted and refocused on a face shrouded by long red hair which framed a pale pleasant unassuming face with delicate features, but her eyes, her eyes were quite intense, and right now they were focused on him. He could make out now that she was holding a water skin. Seven swallowed.
"Where?"
Was all he managed to convey, then grunted in pain. Well wherever he was he was fairly certain he wasn't currently being hunted, else he doubted his eyes would have opened again.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2019 10:04:24 GMT -8
As Seven started to come to, Mariah's arm seemed to tense around him, as if to hold him more firmly against her as he lurched, his coughing no doubt sending an unfathomable pain through his whole body.
"Easy," she murmured. "You're on Ambria." Her reply came but a beat after his rasped question. "Now hush. There will plenty of time for questions and answers for us both once we get you back to the Temple."
Only the Creator knew how long he had truly been out here, and the mere fact that he was alive was a miracle. The faster Mariah could get him back to the Temple and into the medbay, the better. What took her half a day to traverse on foot would take the landspeeders mere minutes to cross. Still, she couldn't allow those few moments to be dead space, simply waiting. With his condition, those few moments could define whether he even made it back to the Temple. For some reason, she was drawn out here, to him. Perhaps he would be a boon to the order in some way, perhaps not. All that mattered to the crimson-haired woman, however, was that she believed that she was led here for a reason.
Her crimson gaze focusing upon the steel tube lodged in Seven's shoulder, Mariah chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. She needed to take care of that, before back-up arrived. A little help with the Force and her newfound skills could help slow the bleeding, at the very least, before they could plunge him into a bacta tank. Removing the water skin from his lips, her free hand then reached hold of the object.
"I need you to count back from three for me."
Her voice might have carried an odd and lulling comfort to it, but there was still a firmness in her tones that suggested that he should heed her request without question. Whether or not he could handle speaking it aloud or simply mouthing the words to the best of his ability, all she needed was his cooperation.
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Seven
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Post by Seven on May 29, 2019 16:03:18 GMT -8
"I need you to count back from three for me." Her voice might have carried an odd and lulling comfort to it, but there was still a firmness in her tones that suggested that he should heed her request without question. Whether or not he could handle speaking it aloud or simply mouthing the words to the best of his ability, all she needed was his cooperation.
Ambria, if he were honest he couldn't be certain if he were further away from peril or not. He was, however certain that he wasn't on the planet he had indeed escaped from, but how far he did not know.
She then spoke again hinting at his wounded condition and asked him to cooperate. He would try, he would have taken a deep breath but that would have caused more pain, so being unsure as to what she proposed he grit his teeth and counted."Three, two, one...." |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2019 8:47:00 GMT -8
This sole survivor counted down, his rasped words flowing with some extra clarity than before. The water proved to be helping, but nonetheless, she would keep at it. At two, the crimson-haired stranger reached hold of the object and forced it free from his shoulder. Either a helpful or deceitful trick -- or both -- but all that mattered was that she pulled the metal from his shoulder before he had a moment to flinch, or tense in preparation.
Quickly tossing it aside with a loud 'CLANG' of metal against metal, Mariah pressed the palm of her hand firmly into the puncture wound. She attempted to stop the flow of crimson that surfaced in response, but with low murmured words, the Force seemed to flow through her fingertips, creating a soft, unnatural glow around her hand. Carefully beginning the works to stitch the ligaments, muscles, and skin back together, the woman knew that the most she could do was help patch things up, maybe stop the bleeding, but nothing more in the time given to her. She had nowhere near the expertise of the Twilight Mages of the Dark Jedi, but at least she could provide something until help arrived.
Luckily for them both, the sounds of the speeding vehicles soon surrounded them, followed by a multitude of footsteps in the sand as the downed craft was rushed. At her earlier command, they had come prepared for survivors and were anxious to load Seven up and rush him back to the medbay. Mariah had been successful with stopping the bleeding from his shoulder, but he was going to need quite a bit more time before he would one hundred percent again -- from the sustained injuries to the time spent in the unrelenting desert.
"We're getting you to the Temple now," she whispered to him, her words piercing through the sudden chaos. "Just relax."
Those were her final words before he was carefully lifted from her arms and placed onto a gurney and further loaded onto one of the vehicles. From there, it would be a rushed venture back to the Tiernvael Temple, where they could look after this one and further decipher what all had happened here, and figure out how and why he was the only survivor of the bunch...
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Seven
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Post by Seven on Jun 1, 2019 14:37:15 GMT -8
The pain , white hot jarring, nerve fibres dipped in molten lava kind of pain, but for its intensity it was brief. Spots danced before his eyes, his vision swam, bike leapt to the back of his mouth as he nearly blacked out. It was to his strength if character that he didn't.
This was not entirely true of course, unless you could call innumerable cruel, inhumane and oven painful tests and experiments character building, if nothing else they had given him an exceptionally high pain threshold and also made his latent connection to the force surface most prominently often as not in spectacular fashion.
He was barely aware of what took place, but he felt a warmth radiating in and around his shoulder, rapidly some of the pain began to dissipate before he was gently jostled onto a gurney and swiftly into an awaiting speeder and that pale concerned yet purposeful face was gone.
He had had a life of little to no kindness, so to receive concern and care from another, he didn't know how to respond, he couldn't understand her motives or her reasoning since no one had done such a kindness to him previously. To find he was actually taken away and cared for by people who seemed to want to attend to his wellness and wellbeing was beyond baffling. There was a nagging doubt that they only acted as such so they could get him fit for whatever was the next test.
The speeder made its way quickly to the temple.
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Whill Shaman Dažbog
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Post by Whill Shaman Dažbog on May 18, 2020 21:59:14 GMT -8
POP From seemingly out of nowhere an asteroid appeared above sandy wastes with a cartoonish noise echoing over the desert. Massive waves of displaced air created by the sudden arrival of this heavenly body in atmosphere above the planet rushing out, reaching megahurricane levels. Any sensor equipment monitoring the area would blare and go off. Droid's with enough processing power to compute what was happening would short circuit from the complete lack of logic to what was happening. Any sentient life in the vicinity would know this was the end times, and began praying to or cursing any deities they could think of.A lone Hssiss warming itself in the sunlight on a rock licked its eyeball, not shaken in the least at this occurrence.The asteroid rapidly descended towards the surface of the planet, displacing even more air, now super-heated from the friction of the giant space rock's descent. As it made its way to the ground, the asteroid would rapidly shrink, but not because it was breaking up. The once massive space was condensing itself, as if it was being shaped by some outside force. After what had been a short orbit in the skies above Ambria, the now meteorite crashed into an outcropping.While initially as an asteroid it had been misshapen, the asteroid was now a crate, being approximately five feet tall and two feet wide. In fact it look appeared more like a crate brought by a delivery droid by some companies rather than asteroid debris. Though it still maintained its obsidian-black space rock surface, it was perfectly smooth, and even had a lip where a seal separating a newly formed lid met the rest of the box. A small scanner that would scan anyone attempting to open it other than the person it was made for. A signal was sent out to the communication devices of the the person, with coordinates included.
To: Mariah Shadows
From: @#$^% !b*-Q&
Enjoy.
Inside the crate was an assortment of caf related items such as a grinder, empty small burlap sacks and an collection of creamers, sweeteners, and additives. However, the most eye catching of which was a smaller version of a caf plant in a pot. The appearance of the caf plant were similar to the plant of legends whispered in caf shops across the Galaxy, one that had been specially bred by a certain caffeine obsessed madman in the Deep Core. The soil inside would ensure the plant wanted for nothing, including water, and would always produce a steady supply of caf beans, instantly ready to be ground up and made into life giving liquid. Any other plant placed in the soil would instantly shrivel and perish.Any hard evidence other than word of mouth of what had just occurred was mysteriously wiped. Any and all damage was suddenly repaired. Sensor data was wiped.The Hssiss, still on its rock, tilted its head to the side to gaze upon the crate as black as the void of space. The Hssiss licked its other eyeball. |
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2020 9:31:04 GMT -8
A small team of Dark Jedi had quickly assembled and traversed deep into Ambria’s desert wasteland, led by a particular petite figure that stood among them. Only an hour before, readings had gone off the charts within the Tiernvael Temple before blacking out into the void of the HoloNet, virtually untraceable. A false alarm? Or perhaps a ghost transmission? The Empress had been lounging within her chambers when her personal holoterminal had come alive unexpectedly. Coordinates sprang alight, pinpointing a rather dreary and dead area within the desert. It was more than a little odd, considering very few were privy to breach through her private communications, and virtually none could do so unwarranted. Some might have sent a small team on a possible suicide mission, but Mariah wasn’t the type of woman to shy away from such a personal message.
After confirming the debris from this so-called meteor strike, Mariah and her team carefully extracted the crate, which should have rested within a well-sized crater. At least, that was what the prior readings indicated should have been here. Instead, it was the same lethal wasteland in all directions, as far as the eye could see. In Mariah’s lifetime, though, stranger things had happened, and the crimson-haired woman seemed otherwise unphased and unperturbed by this rather unique phenomenon that left the other men with their mouths agape.
None attempted to pry nor force this strange box open. The Empress made sure of that much once it was clarified who this package was for. It wasn’t until she had safely extracted the crate from its location and settled it within her chambers that she dared attempt to open it. A reckless move to some. However, to Mariah, this… thing was meant for her and no one else. She would own it, be it a gracious blessing or a fatal warning. The sensor triggered, leaving the Empress statuesque until it deemed her worthy--or killed her, possibly taking down this wing of the Temple with her. Thankfully, this time, it seemed the Higher Beings finally were smiling down on her with good fortune as the crate cracked open to reveal its fascinating contents.
With a faintly amused scoff, the Empress issued a silent promise within the Force that this unusual yet welcomed gift would not be wasted.
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The Holy Man
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Post by The Holy Man on Jul 24, 2020 12:19:35 GMT -8
As the Allanar N3 freighter descended from the sky into the vast desert, the feline creature in the pilot's seat nodded confirmation to the man sitting behind him in the cockpit. The man had given him orders to drop him off here, of all place, and to continue on to a different planet. He was to locate and collect something that the man was after. It shouldn't be a difficult job, but he was wary to leave the man on this desolate planet alone. But if he knew anything it was that the man knew how to survive.
As the ship descended, the man made his way to the other side of the ship. He used the railings running through the ship, making it easier on his old legs to get from one place to the other. As he entered the cargo hold he felt the ship make landfall. As the boarding ramp descended, the man grabbed his walking stick from its normal place and stepped off the ship. He knelt to the ground and ran his hand through the sandy earth, picking up a handful as the freighter ascended and moved back into the sky.
He took the moment to rub the sand between both of his hands until it all ran back to the ground. He brought his right hand to his face and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of this planet. After a few moments he opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to his left before starting off in that direction. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he knew that the Force wanted him to go that way.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2020 13:14:53 GMT -8
Nothing really made it to and from Ambria's orbit without Tasradan knowing about it. It would have been easy enough to dispatch a crew to intercept the sole freighter, a new, unknown vessel to the orbital control since the Dark Jedi's occupation of the planet. However, a strange turn of events unfolded as he made contact with the powers-that-be. The Allanar N3 was to be left alone to descend to the planet without incident...
Three landspeeders were dispatched to traverse across the Ambrian Wastes. The leading party remained solely operated, the two flanking it containing two bodies each. All were dressed in full preparation for the desert's cruelty and Amber's blazing torture. The scanners had picked up the general location that the ship was heading -- deep in the unbeating heart of this lifeless world -- but the group followed it anyway.
The pinprick of a craft fleeing into the sky issued a hum, silenced in the violent winds of movement, from the one leading the squad. From behind a full cover over their face, a slit revealed a pair of crimson orbs scanning the desert terrain until they found the figure of a man, wavering like a mirage in the desert heat, seemingly wandering aimlessly.
Once close enough to approach him but far enough away to keep their forcefully-issued guard nearby and content, the figure slowed their speeder to stop. Hopping out effortlessly, their feet sunk with gentle hiss of moving sand. Without a moment of hesitation, they began to close the gap between them and this stranger. This approaching figure, covered from head to feet, waved back at the crew in a silent signal to stay behind. A command they wouldn't be happy with, but having to drag them along all the Force-damned time was more of an inconvenience.
"You're awfully distant from any kind of civilization," a woman's voice called out to the lone wanderer. "It makes me wonder if your pilot is any good at his job."
Dripping with an unspoken accusation, her voice was a low murmured drone. For many reasons, this strange wanderer didn't belong within the Wastes, not even in the kindest sense. Not unless--
"That is unless you're just another one in exile seeking a death sentence."
Her arched eyebrow was shrouded, but her tones remained callous and sharp. Although it was debatable whether or not the desert was a crueler mistress than she was, the Empress of the Dark Jedi hadn't the time or the patience for formalities with those who couldn't even signal their descent and thus waste her time. Silencing the harshness in her earlier tones, though, the woman asked what she needed to know, with strength in her voice commanding an answer.
"What brings you here, stranger?"
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The Holy Man
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Post by The Holy Man on Aug 3, 2020 10:43:59 GMT -8
It didn't take long for the man to see a cloud of sand and dust rising in the distance. From the tell-tale hum of engines, he surmised that his arrival had not gone unnoticed. He stopped walking and waited for the vehicles to draw closer. One of the speeders pulled ahead of the others before a single figure exited into the heat and sand. The others were still close by, and heavily armed by the looks of things. The man looked at the lone figure quizzically, wondering what hornet's nest he managed to stir up this time. He instinctively reached out through the Force to try and get a read on this person... but was momentarily surprised to find that he couldn't sense anything. That was certainly interesting.
As he tightened his grip on his wooden walking stick, the lone figure spoke to him. The voice was definitively female, and even more so coated in a tone that was not entirely friendly. Only one way to play this, then. He looked at the woman and smiled before speaking to her.
Civilization? Way too crowded. It's a little warm out here, but kind of peaceful when you think about it...
His thought trailed off as he looked off to the middle distance. His mind and vision snapped back to the woman as she spoke again.
Beth? I don't know anyone named Beth.
He looked a bit confused by her statement, but he was pretty sure he had never met anyone with that name. On top of that, he's not sure that the reason he was here was an individual. The Force had drawn him here, but he was fairly certain it wasn't just an individual he was looking for. At the moment, though, he had to deal with the problem in front of him before he could continue his search. This time when she spoke, her voice was... not softer, but less accusatory.
Right now I'm just taking a stroll. Not exactly sure where I'm headed, I think I might have gotten turned around a bit. OH! I'm Hiro.
No, he wasn't. But it was as good a name as any, and he was almost sure there were no active bounties on that name anymore. He moved his walking stick to his left hand and reached out to her with a smile on his face.
If you tell me your name, we won't be strangers anymore!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 13:45:11 GMT -8
"Peaceful?"
Unseen underneath the cloth that hid her face, the woman had arched an eyebrow at the word. However, her tone didn't hold the same harshness as before--not to say that ill-temper was wholly gone, but rather, there was a faint something under her tones. It wasn't exactly understanding or acceptance, but it was somewhere around there.
However, that 'something' was there and gone in the blink of an eye as 'Beth' was brought into the picture. She blinked once, her eyes narrowing upon the man with cautious skepticism. Perhaps he simply misheard her. Perhaps the desert had already made him deranged, or if her first impression was right about him, perhaps the swirls of hyperspace had already done the work, like it did on many fellow nomads. Either way, the overly friendly and all-smiles front that the man was putting on was something the woman could catch a klick away, and it wasn't something she would easily fall prey to and accept. In her lifetime, it usually led to disaster--or death.
"My name is Mariah," she introduced matter-of-factly, "the 'Empress' of the Dark Jedi Order, who occupies this planet."
It was odd, the mocking emphasis on her title. It wasn't done as a power move, but rather, it was as if there was a faint bitterness to it. Nonetheless, her crimson eyes glanced down at the man's outstretched hand. She didn't move, her gaze flickering back up to meet the man's eyes. In a similar gesture as moving his walking stick, though, she removed her headpiece, crimson locks spilling down over her shoulders. Her ghostly fair complexion was perhaps enough to explain why she kept herself covered in the extreme heat of the Wastelands. Otherwise, she appeared young and delicate, even though the intensity in her eyes shared the story of a few lifetimes.
"Out of anywhere you could have gone, the Wastes are one hell of a place to decide to land and take a stroll, Hiro," she stated pointedly. "Why don't you tell me the real reason you've chosen to come here, and if I like your answer enough, I may just leave you to it."
There was a faint cock of her head, her lips pursed tentatively as she examined him, as though wordlessly interrogating him in that brief pause.
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The Holy Man
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Post by The Holy Man on Aug 6, 2020 12:02:32 GMT -8
Despite what his demeanor would suggest he was watching her carefully. Not being able to sense anything through the Force could be a hindrance, but he wouldn't have survived to this age without being able to read people and situations. Her voice continued to change faintly with each sentence, from annoyance to authoritative. As she announced her name and official title he was genuinely caught off guard.
The Dark Jedi Order? That was... not what he expected. He had dealings with the Order and some of their members in the past, but that had been a lifetime ago on the other side of the galaxy. What were they doing here? What had happened to them after all this time? Would any of the men or women he had fought beside ages ago still even be here?
All of these thoughts raced through his mind in a millisecond, though his face did not betray his surprise.
Oh... Empress? I am honored to stand before you.
As he spoke the words he bowed his head and pulled his hand back. He wasn't quite sure the character of this woman but if this iteration of the DJO was anything like the one he knew and she was the Empress, he would certainly give her the respect her position deserved.
She removed her headgear, speaking to him again. Now that he could see her face, it was much easier to read her youthful complexion. Her words were pointed and the look in her eyes confirmed that she saw right through his persona. That in itself earned her a higher measure of respect in his mind. It was easy to dismiss a crazy old man for someone not worth the time, but not everyone would see deeper than that. Nonetheless, he would continue to keep this persona that he adopted. She hadn't earned enough respect to know who he really was... Not yet, at least.
All is as the Force wills it. Something drew me here, and I decided to follow. Although I'm surprised to hear that it's the Dark Jedi that called out to me. The desert seems a little less flamboyant than I remember their style to be.
He punctuated this last statement with another smile, almost to tell her that he knew he wasn't fooling her. He remembered some of the Dark Jedi he used to know and their... proclivities for haircare and bright pink colors. Perhaps he would get the chance to find out if they were still around.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2020 14:47:55 GMT -8
Usually, there was a twinge of irritation when another treated her with the esteem of her title. From what she had shown this far, though, her harsh gaze remained unwavering despite Hiro's respect. However, the utterance of flamboyance ushered a wry, unamused smile to the woman's lips. Although she was far from a bubble-gum personality with pink hair to match, Mariah may have fit the bill to pass for a Dark Jedi of old, with her crimson hair and eyes set alight by a ghostly white complexion. She stood out against the dreary browns of the desert, at least.
"Great," she uttered, seemingly in slight annoyance. "Another one of you."
Hiro wasn't the first to claim he knew of the old Dark Jedi, the Jen'Jidai, or whatever they wanted to call themselves. During those times, Mariah was probably running the smog-ridden streets of Nar Shaddaa and hadn't a care in the galaxy for the politics of orders, factions, or governments. Oh, how times had changed. With a faint arch of her eyebrow paired with a half-shrug, Mariah turned her gaze behind her--towards the unseen Temple--although still keeping a piece of attention trained on Hiro, her guard up. He may have been another insane personality. It may have been a ploy from the beginning. The truth of it didn't exactly matter. What did, though, was his plans and intentions for stepping foot here.
"Ambria wasn't my first choice, either," Mariah called over her shoulder, "but there's something about worlds-that-kill that seem to attract the obvious darksiders. If it was the Force that called you to us, though, you're a bit far from the Temple."
Mariah turned back to the man. Again, her tone was accusatory, as if she still had her doubts about who or what brought Hiro here. Nonetheless, Mariah was a woman of her word, and his answer, for the most part, was satisfactory. At the very least, she had heard it before, time and time again, by Dark Jedi seeking shelter since the order's founding.
"As promised, though, I'll leave you to stroll the Wastes in peace," Mariah paused briefly before adding offhandedly, "or I can take you back to the Temple if you truly believe that's where the Force called you."
With the Empress' word choice and faint emphasis, Mariah made it evident she was trying to call a bluff if there was one. There was also the matter of two evils she needed to resolve. Leave a stranger in the Wastes to find or do the Force knows what, or take them back to keep a closer eye on them. The lesser of two evils wasn't always obvious. Mariah found enjoyment in the times it was.
"Your choice."
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The Holy Man
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Post by The Holy Man on Aug 20, 2020 11:30:17 GMT -8
Please accept my apologies, Empress. Memories of a different lifetime. No offense intended.
He bowed his head in respect to show her that he meant no offense. He could tell by her demeanor that she was dead serious about her words, and that she was different than he expected from a member of the DJO. Her physical appearance may have fooled others into a false sense of security, but her body language and voice said otherwise. He knew that her appearance was no indication of how dangerous she could be given the right provocation. Now that he had her measure, he had no reason to prod and press to learn more about her. But that didn't mean he was willing to reveal all of his secrets just yet.
As she offered to take him to the Dark Jedi temple, he closed his eyes and reached out through the Force, letting it tell him what to do. It didn't take long before he had his answer. He opened his eyes again, looked around at the woman and her companions, and knew what to do.
Sometimes the Force is... less than specific. But I feel it pulling me towards you. If you don't mind having a strange old man knowing your deep, dark secrets... I accept.
With one last innocent-looking smile, he gestured towards the woman's transport with his free hand. As of now, he was at her mercy and he had no misconceptions about it. Where she went, he had no choice but to follow.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2020 13:42:35 GMT -8
Mariah took a moment to affix her headpiece back to protect her face from Amber's cruelty. All in all, she had gauged that this man, as strange as he may be, wouldn't be an immediate cause of harm to her or the Order. Her stance on the matter was still aligned on the cautious side, but at the very least, for now, events would unfold without death or bloodshed. Everyone had their secrets, though.
His apology brought about a hidden twitch of a scowl from her. She crossed her arms over her chest as she dismissed his words without an ounce of sincerity or kindness. However, there wasn't a fragment of malice or harshness evident, either.
"There may be a member or two you may remember from times' past. You might not," the Empress explained with a half-shrug. "It depends on how close you were to the Dark Jedi of the past, and if timelines... align. Regardless," she dismissed, "you aren't the first to speak to me on familiarity with the old order, and I'm sure you won't be the last."
Naturally, she didn't need to waste the effort of an explanation, but if it would stop all this bowing, it would be worth that energy. Bowing, an act of respect, feigned or not, was still something she abhorred that came with the title. She learned to bite her tongue by this point, but nevertheless, she sighed sharply. Her skepticism spiked, though, as Hiro attempted what she could only assume was some sort of silver-tongued flattery.
"A strange occurrence," she murmured, revealing her doubt to his words as evidently as possible in her chosen tone. "The Force is a strange thing. One must wonder why it would be so specific and guide you to me."
At the very least, though, the man accepted her offer to be taken back to the Temple, so with a jerk of her head, she indicated that he should follow her towards the speeder he gestured. Mariah turned and signaled to her men, who had been obediently lying in wait at their respected speeders. At her command, they hopped in and started up the engines, the vessel rising off the sand and hovering into the air. They didn't leave yet, though, waiting on their Empress to take the lead. However, she waited for her unexpected companion to join her.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint," she called back over her shoulder to Hiro as she boarded her speeder. "I have no secrets worth sharing. They're either too boring to care to know, or you won't live long enough to tell the tale."
Her face was wholly hidden now, so it wasn't clear what the Empress was attempting to achieve--if she wore a dark smile in malicious play with the threat or if she was wholly serious. Her tone lingered in a mysterious middle area of the spectrum, at that. Reasonably, her intention was to remain enigmatic towards this strange acquaintance and let him fill in the blanks to make his own assumptions about her, based on what he had already gathered.
"Perhaps, though, the Force desires the opposite of your assumptions, Hiro, and your secrets are now due to be told. As you put it, the Force is less than specific in its will. I'm sure a man who lands in the heart of the desert to 'take a stroll' has plenty of tales under lock and key."
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The Holy Man
Member
I'm not a God, but I'll help you meet yours.
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Post by The Holy Man on Aug 25, 2020 10:33:05 GMT -8
At her behest, he followed her towards the speeder, ready to be out of this desert. He heard the veiled threat beyond her seemingly innocuous words, and responded with a slight smile. He wasn't sure if it was sincerity or more of their verbal sparring, but even a veiled threat was something he took seriously no matter how he seemed to respond.
Death smiles at us all. All a person can do is smile back. But between you and me... I don't think it's quite my time yet.
At this point that decision rested on her shoulders. There was little he could do about it... Well. That wasn't entirely true. But he was certainly at her mercy. He could tell she was still skeptical about his intentions, and she had every right to be. Someone who rose to the ranks of Empress in the Dark Jedi Order had to have the means and desire to do so. Someone that dangerous should not be taken lightly.
I don't know why the Force brought me to you specifically, but I trust it. My hope is that you give me a chance to earn your trust.
He wasn't sure if she would believe him, but he tried to reinforce the words with the same sincerity of his previous apology. He was more than capable of proving his worth.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2020 10:42:55 GMT -8
Mariah simply offered a sharp hum in thoughtful distaste as Hiro climbed aboard her speeder.
"'Smile' isn't the term I would use in that analogy, but to each their own."
Summoning the vehicle to life with a roaring thrum, Mariah prepared to take the lead, with her men trailing behind her. At the very least, they could keep an eye on this stranger for her while she focused on getting them back to the Temple. If Hiro made any strange movements, they would be ready to back her up. However, a whisper in the back of her mind eased that these precautions were unnecessary... at least for now. Whoever this man was, though, he would quickly learn how rare the Empress's trust truly was.
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