Alora

The Sith Mistress had kept quiet, remaining observant throughout the creation of the crystal. Her panther cub had become bored with the whole process and had curled up at her feet with her head resting on her foot, a contented purr sounding like a motor running. It amused her that even though Shadow was sleeping, the cub still had to be touching her. Before they left Alora asked Raynuk, “Please pass on our love and that I will catch up with her soon.” Then with a smile she said to Raia, “I would like it if you were to be part of our wedding ceremony as a flowergirl. You don’t have to, but I would like you to.” She hoped Raia would agree. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she felt as if in another lifetime Raia could have been a younger sister. Alora felt the same kind of protectiveness of Emily as well though that was more because of the close friendship she had shared with Emily’s mother, Sirvani. She missed the red Twi’lek immensely. The Sith Mistress also missed Darla though the last she heard Darla was off running around with one of the Jedi and having babies and that was quite a few years ago. “I don't know what that is, but I would like to learn and help,” she answered with a shy smile. Alora’s smile widened, “Just wait until you see the location. Serenno has some beautiful places.” She wouldn’t go into detail, it would be best for them to see it once they got there. She only hoped that Emily would still be her maid of honour. With that thought in mind, she shot off a quick comm. figuring that if she and Raia got talking and the wedding was mentioned at all, she had better have asked Emily if she would be up for it. She hoped that the Empire hadn’t done anything to her. She would feel better going to see for herself though knew that she would have to wait for now.

“Master Draken, Mistress Alora.” “Raia. Raynuk,” Alora responded with a smile, which widened with Krakis’ reaction to Draken’s increased anger at the cultists bodies lying around. It seemed the large male panther had him in control - not the other way around. Shadow just mewled and rubbed around her Mistress's legs, looking with curiosity at Raia but arching her back to hiss at Roe. “Easy Shadow, it’s alright. That’s Roe’gall.” She leant down and ran her hand over the cub’s back, soothing her. “It showed tactics and cunning; even managed to overwhelm Roe’gall at one point before I arrived. It got a piece of Raia too it seems; I may have to keep an eye out for it in the future should I need another subject. Now, If you two don’t mind, they both need some medical attention that my lovely tomb just isn’t stocked for.” Alora listened as Raynuk told Draken about the pack of hunting tuk’atas that had found the girl and how they’d injured Raia and gotten through Roe’s defenses which did show the cunning they had. As Raynuk passed his daughter into her care she motioned for Shadow who automatically to her right side which Alora placed a comforting arm around Raia, “The Grand Duke is just outside so we haven’t far to go.” She turned her focus to Roe’gall, speaking directly to the intelligent tuk’ata, figuring it would understand that she wanted to help if he needed it, “Are you able to make it or should I assist?”

Alora couldn't help the smirk that crossed her features regarding Raynuk's reaction when he realised she was indeed testing him. The howls of the tuk'atas ended what was sure to be some kind of retaliation. First Roe and Vex took off with Raynuk fast behind them. "She got herself into trouble again" "It certainly looks that way." Alora answered Draken with a laugh. "She will certainly keep him on his toes... especially when she gets interested in boys". She linked her arm through Draken's when he offered it and the two headed for his ship. The antics of the panthers amused her further especially when Shadow imitated Krakis. "Leading by example Krakis... " she laughed as the elder of the felines growled at his Master before following him to the cockpit. When they landed at Raynuk's tomb it was rather obvious that both Roe and Vex had been there along with Raynuk. She and Shadow followed Draken and Krakis over to the dead tuk'ata then looked towards the tomb. "We go in" she answered and began to head inside. The remains of what was left of the dead cultists confirmed what they had been told about with regards to Raynuk's resurrection. Shadow sniffed at one of the corpses and sneezed shaking her head with distaste and a growl. The four of them made their way in telling the black felines not to go ahead of the two Sith so that the black and white tuk'atas wouldn't perceive them as a threat.

Alora knew the second she had struck the biggest nerve as Raynuk shoved her backwards until she was against the wall. As his words cut the air between them, his former apprentice stood there listening with a spark in her violet eyes as he continued with his tirade. The more he snarled at her the harder it was to keep the neutral expression upon her face. When he finally broke the eye lock with her to glance at Draken she allowed herself to breathe, to control the emotion that threatened to escape. This was easier to do once he had taken a step back from her. When he stated that he was not the same person he used to be she nodded her head slightly, agreeing with him though didn’t think he saw her as he had turned his attention to Draken for the moment. When he started to leave in the direction Raia had taken she was a little relieved that he didn’t storm off before she had a chance to speak once more. “It is you who doesn’t understand Alora. When I look at Raia, I don't just see a wayward teenager from Dathomir. I see the life I denied myself; a life in which I was a better man, where I didn’t foolishly twist the affection and love I have for Jaina into a dangerous obsession that pushed her away in fear of me. If that had been my path, I know...” He looked up again, meeting Alora’s eyes, and then Draken’s in turn before continuing, making sure they understood the emphasis he was placing on his words, “I know Raia would have been our daughter; I see so much of her that reminds her of myself, or of Jaina. The good, and the bad, the beauty and the stubborn streak, the fire and the wit. That is why...” He found himself lacking the words, and simply raised his hands in a sweeping gesture. “All of this… That is why. I know I won’t be the best fit for her Master; likely you will take over in that role Draken, as you already have taught her and shown her things she will need to know as a Krath. But that time hasn’t come yet. Until then, I will teach her what I can. As a Father, and as a Sith.” “I understand more than you know…” Alora murmured softly as a more gentle expression crossed her features. “You passed…” she stated calmly as she allowed the smile that had been threatening to break through her neutral expression all through his tirade. She didn’t know how he would feel about her testing him like this. Throughout the whole conversation with regards to the crystal and what had happened to corrupt it as well as the interactions between ‘Father and Daughter’ she had been very observant, the idea springing forth when she first heard Raia refer to him as Father. She knew that if she got him angry enough that she would see the true emotions hidden behind the facade… and she had. His love for Raia had shone through. When he locked his eyes with hers once more, she boldly stepped closer to him, violet eyes sparkling with mirth as she slipped her arms around him for a quick embrace, releasing him soon after. “Congratulations. Have you made the adoption formal yet?” Alora glanced back at Draken as he spoke about the crystal again then stating he’d need drops of blood from the pair of them before she brought her attention back to Raynuk.

Alora remained silent and watchful as Raynuk and Draken discussed the corruption of the crystal then acted. Instead she watched the young girl, to see how she would deal with this turn of events. A protective instinct had her wanting to comfort Raia as Draken took the corrupted crystal from her necklace and began to test it then attack the corruption within it. As the Krath weakened the screeching corruption and told the Warrior King to smash it she knew Raia would move to intervene. She grabbed the young Dathomiri as she began to move and pulled her into a comforting embrace, the Assassin’s back towards the exploding, screeching crystal. The resulting release of energy had her struggling to remain upright and to hold onto the teenage girl. Alora sensed the loss Raia felt at the destruction of the crystal Draken had created which had bonded the girl to Raynuk. She also understood what the men would not as Raia fell to her knees with tears of anguish running down her face. It didn’t surprise her at all when the young girl picked herself up and ran off. Knowing what was coming next she turned back to face Raynuk, holding up her hand in a gesture to keep him quiet. “Do not scold Raia for her outburst. You forget that she is only fifteen years old and a young girl going through puberty. She was also in isolation on Spite Station for two years, living in fear until Emily found her. Running and hiding is what kept her alive. It kept her safe. She knows no alternative. When has she had a chance to learn in the last two months? To actually be a teenage girl and not an apprentice or someone that is just being dragged around the galaxy willy-nilly.” Alora paused, her gaze shifting between the two men. “She has also just lost everything on Dathomir and now she’s also lost the crystal that was made for her from the ashes of her home planet. She called you ‘father’. Start acting like a Father and not a Master - go take a class in teenage girls before you go off at her. Speaking of which, of all the young girls you have taken on, you still do not understand how to treat us. I was only eighteen when I became your apprentice… how old was Emily? My age wasn’t she? And Jaina? How old was she?” The Sith Mistress hoped that the men would at least have some perspective now.

Just as Krakis headed towards the hatch, Shadow began to scamper after him. When Draken told the Panthers they wouldn't be going she could almost feel the disappointment radiating off the black felines. She laughed at Krakis' special instructions to keep Shadow off the bed, "He'll keep her off by lying on it himself I dare say," Alora laughed as she picked up the cub for a quick cuddle before putting her back down. Turning back to meet Draken's eyes she added, "What's the bet we find them both curled up on the bed when we get back." Alora linked her arm through Draken's as they made their way into the temple and towards where they could feel Raia and Raynuk to be. When they greeted each other, her violet eyes lit up when she saw the young Dathomiri girl. Inclining her head towards her former Master first, greeting him while Draken filled him in. "Hello Raynuk." The Sith Mistress then turned back to Raia, observing her for a moment before she stepped closer and pulled the girl in for a hug. "I am happy to see you Raia. How are you?" Her expression showed concern as she answered, "Not yet but we have the Black Guard seeking some answers that we cannot obtain in person. The Imperial Remnant put out a holocast stating that they had a female Sith in custody but not who she was. I think they might have Emily."

As the dismal looking planet that was the Sith homeworld came into view Alora could swear she felt the dark energies radiating from it with a more malicious twist than usual. It might have been just a thought or it may have had something to do with the gathering of Sith that were already there, though something wasn’t quite right. She glanced up as Draken asked her to take the controls, giving him a short nod and watching as the large black panther followed him closely. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth as the little black cub took a swipe at Krakis’s tail as he went past her. It in turn twitched as if he was very annoyed. “Stop that you little minx, you know you’ll be in trouble with him when he comes back.” The cub just rubbed her head against Alora’s leg then rolled on her back, batting her paws at the material of her cloak, Shadow’s tail twitching as it swished back and forth. With a laugh and shake of her head the Sith Mistress turned back to check the controls, announcing who they were and requesting clearance for landing before putting them into a waiting orbit and engaging the autopilot. Soon after they had left Coruscant orbit she had changed out of the constricting Darkknell Shipyard Industries uniform and back into her Sith armour and robes, thinking all the while that she would have to redesign the DSI uniform and maybe send through a few more ship design interiors while she was at it. She had changed her robe twice because of Shadow tearing at the hem with her sharp claws. She glanced down at the playful mischief maker, teasing her with a touch through the Force. It had become a great game, Alora creating illusions for the cub to chase, touching her mind to the feline’s to create their own form of communication. It made her wonder why she’d never gotten an animal companion before… Her violet eyes were sparkling with humor until she looked out the view screen once more. Inevitably her eyes were drawn towards the area on the Planet below in which they had spilled much of the Cults blood the last time they had been here. Where she had regained her freedom, where Raynuk had been resurrected and where she and Draken had been reunited. Not only had she and her love been reunited, but so had she and her niece Emily. It hadn’t been all that long ago but so much had happened in that short time. Again her thoughts returned to her niece, wondering how she was, where she was and what the Cult had done to her. Alora’s eyes narrowed as she thought of how much she wanted to tear the Cultists to shreds. They had stolen time from her, including her wedding. Bridezilla would be a mild term when she got done with those cretins. “Emperor’s Black Balls!” At Draken’s shout - and Krakis’ growl - she glanced quickly at the console before taking off in his direction yelling to the droid to man the cockpit for the moment. With their connection she knew he was in the training room... Raia... he was trying to reach out to the girl. Alora headed there with Shadow right at her side, the cub having shed her playful mood as she picked up on the emotions of the two Sith. She paused in the doorway, glancing down at her cub to see it arching its back, fur standing on end as she hissed, spitting at something unseen. The Sith Mistress knew better than to break her love’s concentration so she waited, connection open if he needed her reinforcement.

--- Comm for Delta under the guise of Darkknell Shipyard Industries ---

co-written “So we have the option of contacting the local Coresec branch to get more information, contacting Black Sun, attacking Black Sun or we hack into the old Imperial satellites and glean all possible information from them. I still have my old working codes so we can pull the data from them. Once we see what direction they jumped in we should be able to formulate our next move. Based on type of ship it shouldn’t be hard to figure out.” Alora mused for a moment before she spoke, “Start with pulling the data - we need as much information as we can get. I’d also like to know if CoreSec has found anything else out yet.” Pausing she pondered what to do about Black Sun, “Delta is Black Sun isn’t he? I’d be interested in finding out what he knows, why they took Emily - if it was them - and also why Black Sun is in league with the Cultists. As for the direction they went… that might be harder to find if they covered their tracks by random hyperspace jumps.” Concern for her niece showed in her voice. Draken nodded. “I assume that he is. I will leave that to you while I pull the data from the satellites.” The look on his face said it all regarding the person that they were talking about contacting. He tilted his head as he realized something. “Depending on the type of fighter, it may have limited coordinates saved into the nav computer. Not to mention limited supplies for a longer trip.” She would have to compose a response for the CoreSec Captain, or they could just show up at the office on Coruscant when they got there. The Sith Mistress’s thoughts turned to composing the comm for Delta - if she could find his contact codes. She couldn’t outright accuse Black Sun, though it was impossible not to mention their apparent role in Emily’s abduction. She would have to use tact and diplomacy. While she wasn’t all that keen on contacting the Bounty Hunter, he was the only one she knew of that was linked to Black Sun these days.There was a time when she had another Bounty Hunter she would have contacted before anyone else, although Tekkan Raas had been gone a long time now. Not having Delta’s contact details Alora searched the holobook blackpages for his comm. code. It took a while but she finally found one that could be his. It had both the names Delta-73 and Ca'Aran listed under the same code. Must be it She composed a comm message and sent it off. Taking a little time to get changed, Alora dressed carefully for a meeting with CoreSec. She chose a navy blue pant suit with the Darkknell Shipyard Industries logo embroidered on the Jacket's pocket with a white collared shirt. She brushed out her fiery red hair, leaving it loose to fall in waves over her shoulders. Taking a final look in the mirror she rejoined Draken in the cockpit.

~~ A comm comes in for Raynuk Montar ~~

“We should comm the Coresec captain once we depart. We need to get as much information as possible before end up pursuing the wrong path. That being said, I intend to destroy any traces of the enemy slowly and painfully.” “I’ll do that.” Alora responded with regards to CoreSec. Once they caught up with the Cult, she was determined to make them pay for their crimes against her and her friends, especially since it meant delaying the wedding. Hopefully the authorities wouldn’t realize her affiliation and come after her as she had overall kept a fairly low profile. If CoreSec were to do a search of her, they would find that she was the Heiress of Darkknell Shipyard Industries on Leria Kerlsil and at the age of eighteen she had found her parents mutilated bodies down an alleyway on Coruscant – a double murder that CoreSec had never solved, though the murderers had paid with their lives once she had caught up with them. The declaration over the holonet regarding the Sith was a concern but right then her concern for Emily outweighed that risk. She quickly packed what they would likely need and had them transferred to the ship. Shadow had picked up on her simmering anger and hissed at the staff members that they passed in the corridors. Alora sat in the co-pilots chair and composed a message to CoreSec Captain Ulys Kelvin, sending it before the jump to hyperspace. She then composed another message to Raynuk and Raia, informing them that she and Draken were on their way to Coruscant and to keep them apprised of any news they heard and that they would do likewise. This message would send as soon as they reverted back to realspace. Turning to her love she asked, "Did you manage to translate much more?" Glancing around the panthers were both lying on the floor behind them.

“It certainly does. The waterfall will be perfect.” Her eyes sparkled at the thought. “I’ve had no luck trying to find out where Darla is and since Sirvani is not with us any longer I figured I would ask Emily to be my Maid of Honour. Raia would make a good flower girl too.” They discussed a few other things before Draken mentioned he was going to translate more of the journal. Alora grinned as Krakis followed Draken out of the room. Shadow had finished her meat and was sitting back cleaning her paws when Alora stood. Immediately the cub was on her feet, padding after her Sith Mistress as she made her way down to the garage, via the kitchen to get a container of meat to take along, plus a water bottle and energy bar for later. When she chose a speeder, Shadow scrambled in when she opened the door. It didn’t take long to get to her destination, Alora carrying her supplies with her as she stretched out her senses to make sure that the area was safe. There were no signs of any threat as she made her way into her chosen cave. This cave she had been to before when she’d had to make her crystals. It had a stream of lava in the back and this is where she headed. Shadow followed her in, watching as she stripped off her outer layers and when Alora sat cross legged near the volcanic stream she curled up at her back and began to purr. She gave her a pat, grinning because Shadow was using her body to block the heat coming from the lava. Taking her pocket knife out of a utility pouch, Alora cut her hand so that blood trickled out. Putting the knife away, she fell into a meditative trance, using the Force to catch the blood as she worked with the sand and heat to create a set of crystals. Throughout the time it took to create these crystals, Alora was aware of what the cub was doing. For the most part Shadow remained curled up at her back, though she did go exploring around the cave, making sure to keep a good distance from the lava. When the Sith Mistress came out of her trance Shadow seemed to know, immediately placing a paw on her leg and voicing her hunger. It had been several hours since she started. Alora wiped the perspiration from her face and looked down at her creations. The three crimson crystals gleamed back at her, two the same size and the third slightly larger. All three were the same shape and perfectly matched, resonating with each other. Taking a cloth out of a pouch, Alora wrapped them up, placing them back into the pouch before she reached for the water, energy bar and opened the meat container for Shadow. After their snack, the two headed back outside to the speeder. The breeze was welcome after the heat of the cave. She stopped at the waterfalls for a quick dip and to wash out her clothing, letting the perspiration wash away as she stood underneath the falls. She sat on a flat rock, letting the sun dry her and her clothing off before she redressed. During this time she watched as Shadow played at the edge of the water. She couldn’t help laughing at the indignant yowl when the cub fell in. Surprisingly, Shadow played in the water for a time before getting out and curling up next to her once more. It was early evening when the two climbed back into the speeder and headed back to the Palace. As she parked the speeder, her comm. chirped signaling a message. "This is an emergency message. This is Captain Ulys Kelvin of CoreSec. We would like to gather some information about a known associate of yours, Emily Zsahra-Skywalker. We believe she may have been abducted. Please respond as soon as possible." “No!” The word ripped out of her as she scooped up Shadow and used the Force to race through the palace almost unseen as she hurried to where she felt Draken to be. As she ran her thoughts were on her adopted niece and who could have taken her. Having been abducted by the cult herself, that is who she automatically thought of to blame. She slowed her motion before pushing open the door, her eyes full of dread and anger as she put Shadow on the floor. Not knowing that he had received the same message she stated, “I just got a comm. from Coresec. Emily’s been abducted. I bet it’s them. I bet the cult has got her.”

Alora couldn’t hold her mirth in any longer especially when Krakis leapt onto Draken after the paper too. "Ooof, ok I'm awake. I assume this was your idea? Two can play at that game." Her laughter abruptly cut off as Shadow tripped her, Alora letting out a surprised yelp as Krakis sprung off her back before Draken caught her with the Force. "Turnabout is fair play I think my love." She couldn’t help laughing with him this time as he brought her close for a kiss. The hilarity continued as Krakis and Shadow stalked the servant carrying the plates. "It would seem that they know who is bringing their food although I think we may need to stop them before they actually attack him as he is quite useful." “Yes indeed they do,” Alora added as she wiped the tears from her eyes. It had been quite some time since she had laughed that hard. “Mmm that looks good,” she added as she spotted the pancakes on the light plate. Alora’s eyes sparkled as she watched both panthers obey Draken’s command. “She’s a quick learner” she added as she stroked Shadow’s back. Ducking into the ensuite, she washed her hands before heading back to sit at the table, helping herself to the pancakes. The panthers seemed to be enjoying their meat though she had to smile at the cub when she growled protectively over her plate. They ate in silence for a while before Draken spoke, "So where did we leave off last night?" “Well… I’ve spoken to the chef and organised the menu. We’ll have to work on the guest list and send out comm’s. We could also check the location for the ceremony and get the staff to prepare the area.” Giving it some more thought, an idea came to her of what she would give Draken as a wedding present. As soon as the chance arose, she would work on it.

As they went through the details of the attacks, Alora remained quiet, taking all the information in. Her hand stroked the soft black fur of the cub, loving the feel of the felines coat. The cub had taken to following her everywhere so Alora decided to call her Shadow. Once the briefing was over, the two Sith made their way to the dining hall. Their meals were delivered promptly, along with plates of meat for the panthers. The chef’s had prepared each of their favourite dishes and it didn’t take long for the plates to be emptied, the two retiring soon after. While they were getting ready for bed, Alora and Draken discussed what they were going to do for their wedding, working out a date to have it, along with the guest list and who they wanted for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. They also decided where they were going to have the ceremony. It had been a few very long and stressful days so both were asleep soon after their heads hit the pillows. Alora woke to the sound of two purring felines. Shadow was curled up at her back and the fully grown panther had made himself comfortable, stretched out across their feet. Seeing that Draken was still asleep, Alora kissed him lightly on his lips then slipped out of bed carefully so as not to wake him up. She quickly dressed, smiling as Shadow had curled up again near her pillow. Silently she left the room, heading to the kitchens to speak with the chef. She wanted to lock in a menu for the wedding and get a few other details worked out with the Palace staff. Once that was done, she organised to have a breakfast tray brought up to their quarters and headed back there. Surprisingly Draken was still asleep when she got back. A gentle smile crossed her features as she looked at him. He needed this rest, though as their breakfast would be brought in soon she figured she would wake him up. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she snatched up some string with a piece of paper tied to one end. Alora dangled it lightly across the cubs nose to get her attention before she used the Force to drag it over Draken’s back. It was all she could do to keep her laughter in check as the cub prepared to pounce on the paper which Alora kept over his back. With a quick motion, the cub launched herself at the paper, landing on Draken’s back before she sprang at the paper once more...

Alora inclined her head politely in response to the greeting and grinned when the Commander commented on the large panther that stopped at Draken's side. The little cub scampered up to her, rubbing against her legs before trying to climb up. The Sith Mistress leaned down and scooped up the cub who snuggled against her and started to purr. As Draken mentioned for them to adjourn to the war room and winked at her she smiled back at him, her eyes sparkling bright with interest. She would accompany him. As they made their way into the Palace Alora signalled to one of the staff members, instructing her to bring a bowl of milk to the war room for the cub. On the trip back to Serenno, Alora had spent time studying the Journal she'd found and researching the languages she'd need to understand it. She also researched some of the symbols but couldn't find out what they meant. For most of the journey the cub had been her constant companion... the only time the young feline wasn't with her was when she was sleeping, curled up on Alora's side of their bed. Another thing she did was look on the holonet for the latest news. There had been an attack on the Corellian Corsec HQ that pointed at Faust being behind it. This she felt may be true, given that Faust had told Raynuk to look on Corellia. There had also been mention of an attack against the Mandalorian's. There wasn't much information available about that. Entering the war room, Alora took a seat at the conference table, the panther cub curling up on her lap, though hissing at anyone who got too close to her.

Hearing Draken come in, Alora shifted her gaze to him as the cub hissed, causing her to shake her head with a smile at it’s antics. When the panther following him growled she raised an eyebrow as her cub scampered around behind her to hide. She eyed the fully grown panther, wondering if the growl was just intended to show the cub who the boss was or if it was intended for her as well. Rising gracefully to her feet she ignored the panther and slipped her arms around her fiancé in a warm embrace and kissed him. Once their lips parted she murmured, “Lets leave this rock behind.” Making their way to the cockpit the two Sith readied the ship for departure. Once all the preflight checks were done, The Grand Duke lifted off soon after the Ravenhammer did and followed suit, leaving the atmosphere of Dathomir behind them. Draken programmed the Navi computer and sent the ship streaking into hyperspace.

It was a huge relief to get back to the compound. With the area clear the droid opened the doors so they could ride in. Once in the compound Alora dismounted and led her mount into the stall. She quickly removed the saddle and saw that the mare was well fed before she headed back out of the stable. By that time Raynuk had entered and the doors closed. His droid had come down the embarkion ramp and was prattling on. The Sith Mistress turned her attention to the others hearing the droids report about it being Black Sun that had bombarded the planet. She almost laughed out loud at 2V’s reaction to their being two tuk’atas instead of one. "As before, you are welcome aboard the Ravenhammer. Your room is still yours, still as you left it. Why dont you take the tuk'atas aboard and settle in. I'll be along shortly." She watched as Raia headed into Raynuk’s ship and out of sight. Alora was concerned about the girl. She’d gone through a huge ordeal. Draken had filled her in on what had happened when he’d found her and the tuk’atas. "Given Faust's interest in us, perhaps it would best serve our purpose if we split up. We know now he's watching us, and that he is working towards his own ends. If we seek out and follow leads independently of each other, perhaps it will allow us to gain momentum and an edge over both him and the cult. Truth be told, I am... intrigued lets say, about the thread Faust dangled before me with regards to Corellia. Perhaps you, Draken, could use some time to study the tomes we have found in more detail and reference them against other texts of our order. And... I think Raia could use a bit of a chance to recover from what has occurred here... and I would be stupid to ignore the benefits of giving my own body time to recover from my injuries." “Yes, it’s probably best we split up for a time. Please keep us informed on how Raia is and call if you need us. I’m worried that she might be overwhelmed by what’s happened to her here. Losing her home and her family will take some time getting over…” She knew Raynuk understood as he had helped her get over the loss of her own family so long ago now. Being his apprentice had certainly taken her mind from what had happened and had kept her busy. Turning to Draken she rested a hand upon his arm briefly before she headed to his ship. She boarded, stowed her gear and grabbed a small container from the cooling unit before she headed towards their room. Entering she glanced around, catching sight of the cub in the corner. Reaching out through the Force she touched the feline’s mind, calling the cub to her. Initially it hissed and spat, arching it’s back until she held out her hand palm up, showing a small piece of meat. Its nostril’s flared and the cub slowly moved towards her. It snatched the meat and scampered back to eat it. With it gone the cub looked back at her again, seeing another bit of meat in her palm again. This time she drew the cub closer to her before letting it have the meat. After doing this several times she began to pat the cub, soothing it and gaining it’s trust again. By the time Draken came in, she was sitting on the floor with the cub curled up in her lap.

Alora was relieved when Raynuk pushed himself to get up though when he told them that it wasn’t him that was hurt, she wasn’t sure what to think as he sure did look like it was. Then when Faust’s voice rang out, the Sith Mistress spun around to see if what she heard was actually him or someone pretending to be. Reaching out with the Force she could only pick up the vital signs of the two guards. Strange… She schooled her expression to cover her surprise when he started talking about the Cult and Faust’s journal, letting Raynuk speak for their group and when Raia hurried towards them to take refuge behind them, Alora rested her hand upon the girls shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze before she turned her attention back to the hoverchair and guards. Her eyes suspiciously narrowed as she looked at the trio before them, watching for any hint of deception when ‘Faust’ spoke of the opportunity. What did he know… if this was truly Faust… His words and taunts certainly sounded like him. She remained silent, just listening as Raynuk answered for them. When he approached the hoverchair, Alora kept her eyes on the guards, alert to any move that either of them might make, though she draped her arm around Raia’s shoulder to prevent her from following Raynuk. She made sure that the young girl would be easily pushed behind herself and Draken so if anything did happen the girl would have a chance to take cover. The tuk’atas were watchful as well and the Sith Mistress noticed that they had shifted protectively closer to the young girl. Knowing the reputation of Faust, it didn’t come as a huge surprise that the being on the hoverchair was not actually him but a droid in his place. It did explain why there was a void there – it wasn’t a living being. As Raynuk moved back towards them, Faust’s words were heard once more. "Deny me, scream to the fates you're not my pawn, or follow the clues. Either way, my will shall be done. I'll be watching. Indeed, I'm still doing so as we speak." She was glad when the trio left. Alora’s concern shifted back to Raia as the girl sank to the ground with a horrified cry. Before she could offer more comfort to the girl, Raynuk had embraced her. Raia looked like she was never going to let him go as she clung to him. The Sith Mistress felt the same emotions as the rest of their group, just wanting to leave this monstrous planet behind them. She stepped closer to Draken, slipping her arm around him and resting her head wearily upon his shoulder until he leaned down to scoop up some ashes, watching as he created a crystal tree for Raia. "To me, this doesn’t change what we are doing. We simply now have another avenue of leads to add to our own, and now we know he is keeping tabs on us. But I know this is a potential game changer; Faust is not to be taken lightly, and he is potentially more of a threat than the Cult is. So if any of you.." He turned to look at Raia, "are having second thoughts about following me down this path, this is your chance to get out. I wont hold it against you." Alora glanced up at Raynuk as he spoke, inclining her head in agreement. “No second thoughts here. I want the cult to pay for holding me prisoner for so long. I’ll see this through.” Catching sight of the black panther that had befriended Draken, the Sith Mistress called her horse back to her with a caress through the Force, wanting to be on their way again. Alora wanted to see how the young cub that she rescued was. Slipping back onto the saddle she waited for the others to remount so they could be on their way.

Alora listened quietly as Draken explained the history of the journal. What surprised her was that the cult hadn’t found it first. If they had of, it wouldn’t have still been in the canyon. But they must have found something because of all the undead Nightsisters and creatures that had attacked them. When Raynuk rejoined them the Sith Mistress looked back at him as he spoke, "I think I know what happened here... and why the cult came here. But I think it's about time to get the hell out of this damn canyon; We could all use a rest. I'll tell you what I found as we ride back to the compound." She couldn’t agree more about wanting to leave the canyon though she checked on Raia, patting Roe’gall on his neck before going over to where the horses were. It didn’t take long for the group to mount up and be on their way. As they rode along, Alora listened to Raynuk as he told them about what he’d found. It would be interesting to see what information they could retrieve from the broken datapad.The further they got from the canyon the more Alora relaxed. It was good to see signs of life once more. When he told them about the words he had heard she shared a look with Draken who mentioned the contents of the journal that they had found. Alora glanced back at Raynuk when his comm chirped, watching as he listened to his message. What happened next had both Draken and Alora looking around for a threat as Raynuk fell off his horse. Not finding any, they both dismounted. She saw Draken grab a medkit and move to Raynuk’s side while Alora went to check on Raia before she moved to Raynuk’s other side. He was obviously in pain though they were unsure of where it stemmed from."What is it Raynuk? Where are you hurt?”

"She'll be okay... We'll make sure of that. Just... not here." Alora nodded to Raynuk, "Yes we will." Her eyes were on Raia as she recalled the power she'd felt coming from the girl as she healed Raynuk. It was extraordinary. No wonder she had trouble with falling into it, Alora had had to concentrate on keeping the teen grounded while all that power had flowed through her. She had felt Raynuk linking with Raia as well... and through that and her own long unused bond with her former Master, had felt his extreme pain. At one point she had rested her other hand on her own side, feeling the echo of that pain herself. "She will be a very powerful Sith," the Seductress murmured as Raynuk lifted Raia onto Roe'gall's back. The Sith Mistress stepped towards Draken, moving to stand at his side and smiled as her gaze fell to the black panther sitting on the other side of him before she began to search the canyon again. She would be glad to leave it. Catching a brief glimpse of something on one of the walls as another bolt of lightning lit the sky, Alora's hand closed on her hilt again as she walked towards it. She ignited her saber, the silvery glow surrounding the crimson blade lit up the deep crack on the wall. What she had seen was a reflected glint from a metal buckle. She used the Force to feel out any traps before her hand reached up to pull the journal from the crack. There were a few symbols pressed into the leather cover. Keeping her saber lit, Alora moved back over to Draken to show him what she'd found. "I can't understand the symbol's... do you recognize any of them?"

She didn’t have time to shift focus to the undead rancor, not when she was still having to battle with the undead Nightsisters. A quick glance told her that Raynuk was fighting the rancor though she couldn’t spare more than that, she couldn’t even go to his aid against it because the zombies just kept coming out of the shadows. Alora! Lightning... HAMMER! Now! Her eyes shot towards Raynuk, catching his meaning and his situation instantly and harnessing more of the lightning. The power she felt from the storm tingled through her body, her flame red hair danced around her as if it had a mind of it’s own. She saw the orange glow of his saber and swore when she realized what he had done. Seeing her former Master roll clear she sent the concentrated power of the lightning straight towards the rancor, the undead creature being destroyed utterly. Bits of rotted flesh and bone were sent in every direction as the beast exploded. Hearing another lightning hit behind her, Alora spun around in time to see a group of Nightsisters being destroyed. Her eyes met with Draken’s and she heaved a sigh of relief. When the black panther appeared next to him she smiled briefly before turning her attention to defense once more although the tide had stemmed off somewhat, there were still undead creatures out there. She felt Draken take control of the storm and unleash it down the canyon and felt a wave of exhaustion roll through her. Looking down she could see where some of the zombie-fied creatures had gotten through her defenses. She had an assortment of scratches dents and deep gouges cut into her armour. She had been very glad that she had worn it. She watched as the storm dissipated, another silence falling over the canyon. Slowly she walked over to Draken, her eyes going to see that Raia was now with Raynuk and was looking over his injuries. She moved to the girls side, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “I’ll help where I can. What do you need?”

As Draken left the Canyon, Alora left the impression of a kiss upon his cheek. She looked up at the Force Storm, feeling the electricity surging around them, the hair on her arms standing up with the static. The Sith Mistress wrapped her whip around her waist once more, having a gut feeling that she would need her hand free for the next attack. The eerie silence was a bit unnerving as she followed Raynuk deeper into the canyon. She stretched her senses out, knowing that they were being watched but not able to see by whom. She couldn’t detect anything living besides Raynuk and herself. When the whispering laughter stopped Raynuk, she stopped as well. Her eyes searched the shadows of the darkened canyon, scanning to see where the laughter was coming from. It was difficult to pinpoint with the echo and only the light from their sabers. "You really ssshould not have come here... I gave you a chanccce to go away, to leave ussss... But you're ssssoo pessssisssstant..." Alora glanced at Raynuk before returning to the sides of the canyon. She dialed the switch on her saber hilt, tuning the crystals so that a silver glow surrounded the crimson blade. It allowed a brighter light to see by. Catching sight of the purple glow, they both watched as the figure moved towards them. While still keeping a close eye behind them, Alora stepped slightly to the side so that she could get a closer look at the humanoid that approached to step within the glow of the sabers. As soon as she saw the tattered robes, her body tensed significantly, recognizing them from her captivity. A low animalistic growling sound escaped her throat, her violet eyes glinting with red sparks as her anger built. She had spent years in a kind of suspended animation, held in a stasis field by the Cult. To say she was still furious with them would be a major understatement. While she still had no idea what purpose the Cult had had in mind for her, she didn’t want to get trapped by them again. "I ssssee now why the Masssssterssss wanted you... Perhapssss they will allow me to return if I bring them their precioussss weapon." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Raynuk’s arm raise towards his warhammer and watched as he sent it flying into the cultists head. Normally a hit caving in the side of a head would be enough to stop an enemy but this was far from normal. These zombies were relentless and already dead. The glowing purple eyes were unnatural – not like her own which were. The cultist seemed focused on her former Master which made her look around them, suspecting that it would only be a matter of time before they were surrounded again. "Ssssssso be it... The Massssstersss dont need you alive..." The cultist’s next words sent a chill down her spine and she spared a second to look at Raynuk again, not sure if it was aimed at just him or both of them...“I don’t like the sound of that” she murmured, her words reaching his ears just before the cultist let out another scream. She gave herself a mental shake and let the Force flow through her, feeling it’s charged energy surround her. While Draken had been using Force lightning, the Sith Mistress had refrained, not wanting to charge the air too much with the electric energy but now that he wasn’t with them it was time. She could feel the ebb and flow of the darkside energies as she gathered them. As they were swarmed by the undead, Alora made sure they didn’t get between she and Raynuk, watching his back as she sent the first chain of lightning into what remained of a Nightsister as she approached. Her blade slashed through another, cutting it in half. She was aware that Raynuk was charging after the cultist as it backed away taunting him. Her movements became automatic, a dance over the broken corpses left in Raynuk’s wake as she left some of her own. With his single-mindedness Alora worried that they were being led into a trap. In fact she was sure of it. She wouldn’t be able to reach him with her voice so she aimed a shaft of thought at him with her concerns, “He’s leading us to a trap! Think!” He kept going and she struggled to keep up as the undead kept coming. In the back of her mind she knew that she hadn’t gone unscathed though she refused to think about her injuries, using the pain to fuel her anger, to use that anger at the Cult of Morthos to destroy as many undead as she could, lightning flashing just as much as she flurried her blade. Suddenly the very air seemed more charged than before, Alora sparing herself a brief moment to look around. In that split second, her eyes took in the cultist with his raised hands, the purple smoke weaving it’s way past Raynuk to disappear into the ground between them. The Sith Mistress sliced the head off another Nightsister, searing another two with lighting before taking in what was rising up out of the ground. "Dessssstroy" The sound of the cultist’s voice reached her as she briefly met Raynuk’s gaze. “Oh kriff”

"Mind your heads, it's rare that crystals will fall from the sky." Alora watched as Draken brought the crystals down upon the undead, effectively taking them out of the equation. Between that and the lightning he cleared a path. She briefly made eye contact with both he and Raynuk before sending her saber through another zombie. She gave Draken a nod of thanks when he shredded another group of zombies that had been closing on her. She caught sight of Raynuk advancing up the canyon and moved to follow as well, fighting all the way. There seemed a never ending supply of zombies continuously attacking them. By the time the scream came, signally the undead to retreat she was breathing heavily. She moved to stand beside Draken as Raynuk pointed out a particular body. “Clearly, someone tampered with a spell… This one was not actually dead when she attacked me.” He pointed out. “And that last scream… I think that was something, or someone different. I don’t know about you, but I’m not leaving this canyon until we know for sure what is going on, no matter how many zombies I have to cut my way through.” There was definitely something at play here. The reprieve was welcome while it lasted though she knew that they would be fighting again soon. As Raynuk started off again, she followed suit.

As the zombies closed in on them Alora shifted far enough away from her companions not to catch them with her whip as it swung into action. The sound of the cracking whip was rapidly lost to the primal screams and general din of battle. With a flick of her wrist, the whip lashed out towards the nearest creature. It screamed at her as the end of the whip coiled around it’s neck, though it wasn’t a scream of pain. It seemed the pain/pleasure aspect of her weapon was not effective in this instance. The being in front of her seemed possessed and it’s expression familiar. In a split second she related it to the image she had seen in the Nightsisters mind. It cemented the fact of a spell going horribly wrong… if the dead and dying trees hadn’t been a sign of that already. The Sith Mistress pulled hard with the handle of her whip, bringing her saber up to remove the head from it’s body and found out quickly that it was not enough to just behead these zombies, she had to decimate them totally. As the head rolled in front of her, the body kept trying to claw it’s way towards her. Alora danced back, slashing her saber through it again and again until it was no longer a threat. As more and more came at them Alora drew the darkside energies around her, letting the Force dictate her movements. Her feet performed a combative dance over the broken bones as her whip wrapped around the neck of another. With the Force behind her she pulled hard with her whip, sending the body of one spinning into another, both of them smashing against the wall of the canyon. Bones shattered and what remained of the two zombies clattered to the ground. Her crimson saber blade flashed through another of the seemingly endless supply of zombies, the ozone smell tainted by the stench of death. Alora only caught glimpses of her companions, her attention having to be focused on the creatures that kept coming from the shadows. The one time she let her focus slip, one of the zombies got through her defenses and left a scratch down her face. Her violet eyes flashed with sparks of red as she sent the being smashing into the canyons rock face.

The further they went, the more uneasy Alora felt. She felt like they were constantly being watched though even when she stretched out with her senses she couldn’t find by what. It was unnerving to say the least. Everything had become eerily silent. Her danger sense prickled though she couldn’t pinpoint the threat. Her mount must have felt it too, skittishly dancing along the track they followed and balking at times as well. The Sith Mistress kept a hand on the mares neck to keep her calm. As Draken pointed out dead or dying trees and told them of his previous visits to the planet, Alora glanced at Raynuk. He was quiet but then, once Draken had finished his explanation, they all were. When they stopped for the night, it took a while to get any sleep and what she did get was uneasy and nightmarish. She remained close to Draken through the night, only dozing for short periods of time. She must have dozed again for when she woke next there was no sign of Vex. She was quiet and watchful, adding concern for Raia to the list when Raynuk told them he’d sensed the girl in danger. She was glad he’d sent Vex to find and help her. They rode on towards the Canyon, each seemingly with their own thoughts. Arriving at the Canyon they dismounted and all noticed the crunch of bones with the thin crust of dirt over them. She noticed Raynuk paying close attention to the bones and looked closer herself. Her danger sense tingled further, causing her head to shoot up, her eyes darting round to see what it was causing it. The scream that was issued had them all reaching for their weapons, one hand went to her hilt, the other to her whip handle. The *snap-hiss* of her blade coming to life echoed along within the canyon walls along with the crack of her whip as she began to swing it in readiness…