Dathomir

[Chaotic Tranquility]

In the cold depths of space, a lone frigate bearing the emblem of the spider cruised along through the swirling abyss of hyperspace upon its return to its homeworld. Aboard this ship, lost in the horrifying nightmares of her past, a single Melodie dreamt of revenge and destruction upon those whom had laid waste to her people. The ship its self, barely held together by an amateur's wit, rattled and shook as it went, threatening to tear apart at any given moment. But she did not care. For in her mind, her death would follow that of the ship upon its return, paying forward the loss it had caused her and her people.

 

Yet, fate would hold a different plan as Eve slept away the night, her Reel companion Lucif coiling his form around the young woman as she laid there in comfort upon his cold blooded scales, his ever watchful gaze and slithering tongue tasting the recycled air around them for danger. A single word sparked in the distance, causing Lucif to raise his head just as the hyperdrive caught fire and the ship rocketed out of hyperspace in a fierce explosion, part of the ship dislodging as reality set in and clawed at its frail form. Eve's gaze shot open in a frenzy as she pulled herself from atop Lucif's coiled form and tried to make it to the cockpit to try and make sense of what was transpiring.

 

But she was no real mechanic, nor was she anything resembling a pilot, and as she neared her destination, it took all Lucif possessed to keep her from being ducked into the vacuum of space as the ship began its decent into the pulling gravity of a nearby planet. From the momentum of their exit from hyperspace combined with the planet's gravitational pull, Eve's whole world went from peaceful nightmares of revenge and hatred into a fiery spin of death as the ship spun it's way into the upper atmosphere of Dathomir, bits and pieces dislodging as it plummeted toward the planet below. And as her gaze caught sight of what she believed would be her resting place, darkness enveloped her conciousness.

 

But death would not claim her this day as the ship came to a terrifying skid, her unconscious form wrapped tightly within the coiled form of her companion and their position within the ship. And as the frigate came to a stop against a towering mountain side, hours would pass before either would awaken and move, Lucif's tightened muscles going limp as he too succumbed to the darkness that overcame their minds. Slowly the smoke would settle, the remaining metal falling as time passed to reveal the ship's remaining innards after the dust extinguished what fire remained. And Lucif would once again carry another scar in protecting his charge, his blood trickling from the metal that pierced his scales and muscles.

 

Within time, Eve's gaze would once again open, seeing first hand the ball of durasteel that remained of the frigate that once bore the Spider's emblem, now no more than a gaping hole of molten metal. Rising from within her companion and fighting the aching of her fragile form, she steadied herself as best she could, attempting to make sense of what had transpired as the memories lingered just beyond her grasp momentarily before some of it reeled back in and her gaze shifted toward the injured Reel. Quickly rushing to his side, she noticed and withdrew the metal that pierced her friend, using some herbs she had to try and force the bleeding to stop. Yet fortunately, nothing vital had been cut and Lucif would eventually heal in time. Bandaging him as best she could, Eve turned her gaze toward the planet the surrounded her, wondering where they had landed. The navigational charts, along with the cockpit and most of the ship laid splintered across their recent, covering too many miles to count. And with night beginning to fall, there were little options they could pursue at the moment. Anger boiled within her, for Onderon, the planet from which this ship originated, was likely light years away.

[Chaotic Tranquility]

That first night on Dathomir was likeliest the loneliest that Eve had ever felt before. Even back on Yavin 8 after the aftermath of the Melodie genocide, she didn't feel this way, whether it had been a sense of creature comforts or her sorrows that plagued her. But here, upon this distant planet, sitting alone in the wreckage of only hope she held for revenge, Lucif injured and his condition unknown to her with only the anger of her own stupidity keeping her warm, Eve felt it. It was a mixture of sorrow, anger, despair, and heartlessness as the darkness within her began to grow. It felt as if all she had to hold onto now was her survival and the emblem that melted away upon her crash. And hold onto it she would, etching it into not only her mind, but her heart as well.

 

As the night sky filled with stars, she sat in silence, her mind remembering that night so long ago still fresh upon her memory. She would survive this set back. She would find a way off this unknown planet, and she would destroy the one that owned this ship. And when that was done, well, she would return to Yavin 8 and destroy the cowards whom hid away in their underwater protection and watched effortlessly as their kin were slaughtered by the planets creatures. This was why she left. This was why she sought revenge. Through this, she would grow stronger. Through denying her heritage, she would come to know the means of her people's destruction. And this is why her heart gripped tightly upon the knowledge of revenge. The lives of those lost would not be left in vain.

 

Hours passed as she sat there brooding, contemplating her situation and her means of destroying those whom destroyed her. And she would devote her life and, if need be, sacrifice it to achieve her goals. Little did she know that the answers she sought laid upon this very planet along with her, the darkness within her pulling toward it, or rather, her. Scooting across what remained of the ship's floor, Eve placed her hand upon Lucif's head to check on him, the Reel slithering his tongue upon her touch but unable to move through his pain. As the moonlight met her eyes, they glowed within the shadow that hid their forms, her gaze having adjusted to the night. When morning came, she would go out in search of food and maybe civilization. But for now she would watch over her friend and prepare for the day ahead.

[Chaotic Tranquility]

The dark hazel of the morning sky began to illuminate her surroundings as Eve began to stir. Without realizing it, she had managed to doze off against the cool scales of Lucif's form. But his stirring was what had shot her awake as he slowly slithered to an exposed portion of metal in hopes of catching the earliest of morning Ray's. Eve simply looked on at her companion, his motions speaking of the pain he was in, yet determined nonetheless. They were seemingly alone upon the planet, the sounds of night eerily quiet for such a dense terrain. Even had noticed its quietness, and judging by the Reel she traveled with, there was no sense of immediate danger surrounding their makeshift encampment. Rising, Eve and Lucif's gaze caught one another, unspoken words left lingering in the air between them as she gathered some things and she set out for the day and leaving the Reel to his healing.

Having spent most of her life in a dampened cave of darkness, Eve was unfamiliar with most of what she saw. And given her adaption to the darkness, her eyes strained to hinder the rising sun as the day would eventually progress. Like her heart, her element was of darkness and that was what she preferred. But she also knew that the best chance of their survival laid within the sun of the day. For today though, she only set a goal of a few clicks away, just enough to find necessities. And as each day would follow, should they not have any luck, she knew she would have to venture farther and farther away. But for now, her goal was set and simple, bringing her back to best before the sun would hit mid-day.

As for Lucif, he simply basked in the warm rays of the sun, letting his body temperature rise and speed up his metabolism so that he would heal with each passing day. The wound would sting, of course, but like all of his species and any animal of sentience semblance, natural courses were often the most prevailing of paths. No gain without pain as one would say. His strength would return and his wound would become but a scar upon his form, but for today, warmth would be his only goal. Yet he could sense something upon the horizon even if Eve could not, a sense of dread that matched that of the young Melodies' own and he sensed a purpose as his tongue flickered in the air. As for Eve, she simply walked the path set before her.

[Chaotic Tranquility]

And so it was, that fateful day that Eve and Telperiën first met, that Lucif first decided to join his companion upon the stroll. It had been nearly a lunar month since they had crashed upon this planet, and now that Eve had removed his bandage and revealed the newest addition of scars upon his scales, the Reel felt compelled to join his ward, especially with the young one one wandering so far from their shelter. It was still tender to the touch as he slithered along side the Melodie, his head hidden beneath the lower laying grass, his massive form taking the predatorial approach should they encounter any threats, or even lunch. But for Eve, the day seemed different since its beginning.

When Eve awoke that morning, she felt a strong urge to embark toward the mountain pass she avoided just the day before, its sheer cliffside and narrow trail placing her in an uncomfortable position should she have become a target. But with Lucif besides her, her nerves settled quite a bit despite her curiosity aching to explore what laid beyond it. After gathering her things, including the crude primitive spear she had forged from parts of the crashed ship, the two embarked upon the journey toward the east. As usual, Eve made a quick stop at a local brook to catch breakfast and gather drinking water, but this day, after gathering the water, she noticed that the water began to run red and smell of iron, causing her to toss aside the water and Lucif to coil in suspension. But when they noticed no real threat, they continued on.

Once they cleared the mountain pass and entered the valley below, Lucif could sense the aura of darkness beginning to loom again as he felt days before. It nearly mimicked Eve's own heart, and it felt powerful, placing the Reel upon his guard. Yet, the familiarity of it made the beast use caution of attacking. Eve's gaze shifted toward him as she noticed his unease, yet not a word was spoken about it as she trusted his judgement and she too took guard as they entered the treeline below. Hours seemed to pass as their journey led them further than they had ever been, mid-day now having long passed and the eve had began to take hold upon the sky above. Eve's eyesight began to waiver as the brightness tried to overtake her sensitive sight, but she had noticed that she had began to adapt to it easier, which was why she had recently began to stay away longer. So much of her had began to change within her since they had arrived upon this planet. And despite never have seen a soul nor a means of leaving it, the darkness within her heart only slumbered for the time. She still wished to find the origin of the ship bearing the spider emblem, but she had began to grow content with the ease of their life here. And that was when Telperiën entered the picture.

Eve stood in stillness as her gaze stared upon the woman before her, her hand gripping tightly the spear in which she held, yet still in its native stance. The young Melodie, the glimmer of the sun lighting his glare as she listened to the woman speak. Yet she remained silent, only turning her gaze toward Lucif when the girl departed, his tongue flickered in the grass as his gaze only remained forward. Eve could see that he sensed something about her, yet he did not attack or reveal himself, causing her to wonder. As for Lucif, once Telperiën departed, he began to slither in the direction she had pointed out, Eve following in tow.

It was only once aboard the ship that Eve spoke, the sense of darkness and innocence intertwined in her tone as she spoke. "Dathomir? That is the name of this planet? She questioned as Lucif coiled around Eve and laid his head upon her shoulder, his tongue flickering in almost unison of her speech. "We crashed here only a moon ago."