𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐬

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 ⸺ 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞.

0556 standard hours. Year 7963 (14 BBY).
Dathomir Orbital Space, Outer Rim.

⚡︎ ⁺. ◍ 。

                    𝓣HE FEELING OF unease that had been bothering Væmas since she woke up intensified as they were going closer to the red planet.

"This place used to be home to a powerful cabal of Force wielders known as the Nightsisters." Cere informed them pensively.

"They used the Force?" Greez exclaimed from his seat. "What, like Jedi?"

"No. These witches served only themselves. Their powers focused on deception, manipulation, illusion."

"Ha! Sounds like someone I know."

"During the Clone Wars", Cere continued, "the Nightsisters made a deal with a Sith Lord who betrayed their trust. In the end, they were nearly wiped out in a massacre."

"I heard this story." Væmas intervened, her eyes focused on the planet. "Count Dooku wanted their powers for the Separatists, but the Nightsisters served no master. I bet he didn't like their resistance."

The ship landed on a small platform, in front of ruins of what seemed to be a village, visibly abandoned. As soon as Væmas got out, she was greeted by the bleak light of the red sun dominating the planet, and the vision of deserted landscapes in the horizon.

Cal soon joined her after exchanging a few words with Cere, Væmas restraining herself from eavesdropping. She was under the strange feeling that her new companions were hiding something from her, and adding that to the disturbing sensation of the planet, it made her very uncomfortable.

"I don't like it here." She frowned as they were going on the path towards the village. "These witches were probably using the dark side."

"I'm not sure it worked like this for them." He objected. "They powers seemed more like magic to me. I heard things, during the Clone Wars, about...rituals, and stuff like this."

"Reassuring."

This sarcastic comment was followed by the screeching of a creature that looked like a mix between a spider and a crab, darting its clamps towards them.

Væmas slowly reached for her blaster. "That doesn't look very friendly."

Indeed, the creature threw itself at Væmas, her dodging rapidly before firing a few blasts on it. The creature dropped dead, BD-1 identifying it as a Bane Back Spider. They encountered a few more of them as they were going through the village, that was, apart for the creatures, completely deserted. A half destroyed huge temple was facing them, making them climb onto the buildings to reach it.

The feeling of unease intensified as they ventured into the building, BD immediately racing towards a strange stele with symbols on it.

"The Zeffo were here." Cal noticed, kneeling to run his gloved hand on the stele. "We're in the right place."

Væmas reached instinctively for her blaster, suddenly feeling like being watched.

"It's strange," Cal said, mirroring Væmas' own thoughts, "this place seems abandoned, but..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a figure assembled before them out of green volutes, to form a female silhouette, her white skin contrasting with her dark markings. She was dressed in a red tunic, darker marking drawn on her face. Her hair was covered by a hood above a golden headdress that laid on her brow.

"You trespass, Jedi." She said in a strange accent, looking hardly at them.

"You must be a Nightsister." Cal said, looking both surprised and impressed. "I thought you were all dead."