In a flash of pseudo motion the Wandering Star came out of hyperspace heading toward the planet Dathomir.  In the pilot’s seat Ar’lissa blinked a few times before shaking her head clear as she finished coming out of her skywalker trance, her eyes now focusing on the planet in front of their ship.  Iz’aphine quickly checked the passive scanners.  “Combat range clear.  Midrange clear…”  She paused her callout as she looked over at Ar’lissa noticing that she was shifting uncomfortably in her seat, “You ok?”

Ar’lissa shrugged slightly as she piloted the Wandering Star closer to the planet trying to shake off the memories.  “Last time I was here things didn’t go so well and got a ship nearly shot out from under me as we tried to flee.”

Iz’aphine looked sympathetically at her, “Well hopefully this time it will go smoother.” Iz’aphine started unstrapping from her seat and then stood up as she maneuvered for the cockpit door, “I need to get those landing coordinates from them.” 

Ar’lissa checked the sensors, “We’ll be hitting atmo in a few minutes.”

Iz’aphine nodded back as she opened the cockpit door. “I’ll let them know.”  Iz’aphine stepped through and headed into the lounge area to see Two-Vee picking up cups from the table.  As she entered the lounge the two woman who were their passengers were seated on the couch in the lounge area.  The one in the Mandalorian armor seemed to study Iz’aphine as the other woman with white skin and facial tattoos who introduced herself as Tashara sat anxiously, her piercing blue eyes looking at Iz’aphine expectantly.  Iz’aphine put on her best diplomatic smile, “We’re just a few minutes out from entering the atmosphere.”

Tashara nodded appreciatively, “That was quick.”

The Mandalorian tilted her head slightly, “And a little bumpy at times.”

Tashara gave the Mandalorian a look, “Azula...”

Iz’aphine raised a polite hand to stop her, her expression showed she wasn’t offended as she slipped into her well-practiced and often used partial lie, “Yes it was a little bumpy, but you were paying for speed, so we used some less defined routes to get here.  If you both so desire on the return trip, we can take a slower route that will be smoother.”

Tashara reached into her vest pocket pulling out a small data card and handed it to Iz’aphine.  “The speed was much appreciated.  These are the coordinates I would like to land near.”

Iz’aphine nodded as she took the data card.  “We’ll touch down as close as we safely can.”

Tashara smiled back politely, “I appreciate it.”

Iz’aphine nodded and headed back for the cockpit.  Azula looked over at Tashara as the door closed behind Iz’aphine and spoke in a near whisper, “How do you know they won’t bug out at the first sign of trouble?”

Tashara shrugged, “You mean besides the fact they won’t get the other half of their payment?  Beckar highly recommended them.  I don’t think he would recommend anyone who would just cut and run.  Unless of course you managed to piss off Beckar somehow.”

Azula threw up her hands in mock defense.  “Hey!  I know I can come off as a bit abrasive and even combative at times but even I know the simple rule that you don’t piss off or threaten the guy who pours the drinks.”

Tashara casually shrugged, “Then I think we can trust them not to abandon us.”

Forty minutes later the Wandering Star flew over the twisted overgrown swamp that was encroaching into the remains of a small settlement that looked to have been nearly razed to the ground by battle.  Iz’aphine checked her displays curiously, “That’s where she wants to go?”

Ar’lissa banked the ship slightly as they did a pass of the remains of the settlement, “Apparently.  I think there’s a place I can set us down just outside the encroachment of the swamp.”

Iz’aphine nodded as she tapped the intercom button, “We’ll be setting down momentarily.  Everyone buckled in?   The ground is a little uneven and could be soft.”

Tashara responded back, “We’re all set here.  Your droid just finished buckling in.”

Moments later Ar’lissa gently set the ship down with just the slightest of jostling and then with the help of Iz’aphine quickly started putting the ship into standby mode.  Iz’aphine activated the internal com. “Wasn’t as bad as I feared, we’re going into a standby mode.  We’ll be done shortly and meet you in the cargo hold.”

Ar’lissa switched off the advanced Fire Control System that linked all the weapons together. “I’m turning off A.F.C.S. so we can use the turrets if needed.”

“Good idea, sensors have picked up all sorts of critters out there.” Iz’aphine responded as she finished her part of the procedures and minutes later, they stood with their passengers in the primary cargo bay as Two-Vee made his way over to the controls.  Tashara sighed, “I expect that we should be no more than an hour or two depending on the condition of the entrance and any critters that are out there.”

Iz’aphine nodded, “You have our com frequency.  Unless something drastic happens, we’ll be right here.”

Azula’s eyes narrowed behind her helmet. “What happens if something drastic does occur?”

Ar’lissa shrugged, “Depends, worse case we just relocate to a safer spot and wait for your call.”

Tashara glanced over at Azula and then back at Ar’lissa and Iz’aphine, “What if you escort us?”

Ar’lissa and Iz’aphine glanced at each other as Azula’s posture shifted, “What, you don’t think I can provide you with enough security?”

Tashara shrugged, trying to sound soothing. “I’m sure you probably could, but there are things that prowl out there that would take more than the two of us to handle.”

Ar’lissa raised an eyebrow, “Like say, a Rancor?”

Tashara nodded looking slightly surprised, “Yes that’s one of the things.  You’ve been to Dathomir before?”

“Once, with some former associates.”

Iz’aphine shook her head, “First time for me.”

“I’ll pay you an additional two thousand credits for the two of you to accompany us.”

Ar’lissa and Iz’aphine looked at each other knowing the additional funds would help with the repairs and maintenance of the Wandering Star and nodded in agreement.  “It’s a deal.  Two-Vee if you would be so kind as to lock the ship behind us?”

Two-vee tilted his head at them, and they could tell by his stance he was nervous, “Certainly.  Please do be careful.”

The four of them stepped onto the ramp as Ar’lissa responded.  “We’ll try to be.”  Two-Vee activated the controls and the ramp descended, imbedding slightly into the soft ground.  Tashara looked around as she took a deep breath in of the swampy air seemingly relishing the scent.  After a moment she started walking into the ruins of the settlement.  “I’ve missed the smells, this way.”

Ar’lissa swung her Nighstinger rifle off of her shoulder as she looked around at the ruins for a moment before following the others as the ramp closed behind them.  “Did the Empire do this?”

Tashara shook her head, her expression one of sadness, “Count Dooku and his droid army.  He attempted to wipe out the Nightsisters and all who supported or even looked like them.  There are so few of us left that I know of, mostly scattered to the stars or in hiding.”

 Iz’aphine raised an eyebrow.  “What do you expect to find in this cave?”

“There is an ichor that Nightsisters use for some of their powers, and it has to be replenished from time to time.”

 Ar’lissa shifted her rifle slightly as her expression changed to suspicion behind her faceplate and visor, “And you need to get more.”

Tashara glanced nervously over at Azula who tried to subtly place her hands closer to her blasters. “Yes...very perceptive of you.”

Ar’lissa nodded tightening her grip on her rifle slightly, “I tangled with some Nightsisters the last time I was here.  I’m hoping you’re a bit more trustworthy than they were, otherwise we could have an issue on our hands.”

Tashara gestured subtly to Azula that it would be ok, “Do you think Beckar would have pointed us in your direction if he felt we would betray you?”

“The Nightsister Mother Talzin could affect a person’s mind, force them to do things.” Ar’lissa’s expression hardened as she remembered what Mother Talzin had done to her.

Tashara shrugged, “Some Force users also have that ability…”

Azula put a hand up to interrupt them quickly pointing to a bombed-out building shouting, “Later, we’ve got company!” just as three red bulbous creatures with six tentacles and several eyes on both sides of their heads came scrambling over the ruins.  Their huge eldritch horror like mouths filled with teeth drooling expectantly at their upcoming meal as they charged at the four of them.

Tashara called out, “Vursonk!  Take them down!”  Ar’lissa quickly took aim at the lead Vursonk and fired, the blast of her modified Nightstinger echoing through the ruins as it hit the Vursonk right through one of the eyes, the precision and power causing it to nearly explode from the shot as its lifeless remains tumbling to a gory halt as Azula and Iz’aphine quickly opened fire on the remaining charging Vursonk with their blaster pistols.   Iz’aphine’s fire found its mark on the fast-moving targets, badly burning one of the Vursonks causing him to stumble right into Tashara’s reach.  Tashara quickly took advantage of this as she stabbed her Duskblade right into one of the eyes of the wounded Vursonk causing it to let out a horrendous garbled scream as its tentacles twitched and writhed one last time before going limp.  She quickly whipped the blade out and around just in time so the remaining Vursonk bit down on the blade instead of her as several of its tentacles flailed out, trying to get a grip on her.  Tashara qucikly punched the Vursonk in one of its eyes causing it to recoil back from her just enough so she could get some leverage to try and wrench her blade from its mouth.  As she wrenched the blade around it cracked hard into the Vursonk’s teeth taking some damage before it finally found soft flesh around the horrific mouth and the Vursonk let go of the blade as it recoiled back in pain.  Taking advantage of the recoiling Vursonk, Tashara quickly backed out of the line of fire allowing Ar’lissa to line up a clear shot at the creature.  A single precise blast from her rifle and the last Vursonk met the same grizzly end as the first Vursonk to fall.

Tashara and Azula both looked back at Ar’lissa with a mixed expression of impressed amazement though Azula’s was hidden behind her helmet.  “That was…impressive.  I thought we were in a lot more trouble.”

Ar’lissa glanced around the ruins, “Thanks.  Do you think there are more around?”

Tashara started walking again as she scanned the ruins, “Probably, they’re scavengers, though I wouldn’t think there would be much left to pick over.”

A loud roar to their left made them instinctively spin around as a rancor burst out of the jungle and into the ruins, charging straight for them.

Acting on instinct and remembering her last encounter with one Ar’lissa activated the integrated rocket launcher in her jetpack.  The targeting reticle popped up in her visor and she took aim, bending slightly to give the rocket a more direct line of fire, and hit the activation switch.  The rocket shot out of the jetpack with a dull thud, igniting a split second later just clear of Ar’lissa’s head and streaking toward the rancor and impacted deep into the rancor’s left shoulder with its armor piercing tip so when the warhead detonated it blew the arm clear off in a gory mess.  It howled in agony as it continued to lumber forward, quickly closing the distance and started flailing at Ar’lissa with its one good hand, its claws just missing Ar’lissa’s head.  Azula quickly opened fire with her dual blasters as did Iz’aphine with her one blaster, the shots hitting the Rancor in the face and forehead wounding it and sending it reeling from the shots as Tashara sliced into its leg with her dusk blade, cutting deeply and throwing it off balance.

As the rancor staggered and flailed around roaring in pain and anger, Ar’lissa backpedaled just out of reach as she brought her rifle up to her shoulder.  Taking aim, she gently pulled the trigger, the blast from the Nightstinger ripped into the wound from Tashara’s blow cutting the tendons, muscle practically severing the leg and causing the beast to topple over nearly hitting Azula and Iz’aphine as it hit the ground, the fierce primal light leaving its eyes as its last breath escaped from its lungs in a death rattle like sound.  Tashara wiped the rancor’s blood off of her dusk blade before sheathing it again.  She looked over at Ar’lissa wondering why she and Iz’aphine were not charging more for their services. “The entrance is only a few minutes’ walk from here.”

Iz’aphine nodded, “Let’s hope we don’t run into anything else.”

Azula snorted in agreement, “You and me both.  Let’s pick up the pace.”

Tashara quickly led them into the small cave entrance without further incident breathing a sigh of relief that it hadn’t collapsed.  “This should lead us to a spot where I can access the ichor...” She looked down at the soft ground and spotted several boot prints leading in and out of the cave.  She quickly glanced around clutching her weapon a little tighter before pointing to the tracks, “Someone has been using the cave.”

The others quickly started looking around the entrance with weapons shifting to the ready, as Ar’lissa asked, “Is there another spot you can go?”

“The only other spot I know of that may still be intact and close by is a day away and a climb to get there.  This could just be one or more of my sisters who have been replenishing their supply.  You are welcome to wait out here.”

A distant roar of a rancor grabbed everyone’s attention and Azula gestured to the entrance, “I have no desire to tangle with another rancor right now, so I say we go in.”

Ar’lissa nodded emphatically in agreement, “Right there with you, I don’t have another rocket with me to reload into my jetpack.”

Iz’aphine started into the cave with Tashara. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”  They could start to hear the rancor’s roar getting closer as Ar’lissa gestured for Azula to enter the cave first and then with one last look back out in the direction of the sounds she quickly ducked into the cave entrance.  To her surprise it actually opened up a bit more after a few meters allowing them to easily move around the strange stalactites and stalagmites.  There was an energy in the air that she could feel as they proceeded further into the cave.  Ra’yla whispered in her head, her accent was just a bit thicker than normal, “Ya can feel it too, don’t ya.”

Ar’lissa reflexively nodded whispering, “I do, the air is filled with energy.”

Ra’yla’s voice started to sound concerned, “We’re not alone...I can sense other spirits in here.”

Ar’lissa gripped her rifle a little tighter as she scanned back and forth as Tashara lead them through the passage.  Tashara made a gesture to Azula to follow her before picking up her pace as she reached for her blade, “We shouldn’t linger.  Something feels off.”

The passage opened up into a small cavern at the far end looked to be several Nightsisters working at some sort of ancient glowing stone altar, placing some sort of items on it that they guessed was for a ritual.  A green ichor like mist was seeping out of a fissure in the cave wall behind the altar and had already pooled into what looked like a knee-high ichor fog surrounding the altar and was starting to fill the rest of the cavern as well, seeping to about an inch high at the entrance.  Tashara gestured for everyone to stay quiet as she carefully moved forward.  The head of one of the Nightsisters perked up from the alter but she didn’t turn her head, her voice sounded strange.  “Sister, you have returned to us...” The head tilted slightly, “And you brought additional vessels.”

Tashara shook her head as she adjusted her grip on her dusk blade looking concerned.  “What do you mean vessels?  They are my allies.”

The Nightsisters turned towards them, their eyes glowing green with the same green ichor mist seeping from them.  Tashara took a hesitant step back as she shouted a warning, “Careful, they’ve been possessed!”

As the others brought their weapons to aim the Nightsister gestured towards them, four ghastly spirits shot out of the fog like ichor and straight towards the four of them, passing into their bodies before they could even react.  Ar’lissa could feel the spirit trying to take over her mind as Ra’yla snarled, “No!  This vessel will be mine!”  The spirit recoiled in shock of the second mind pushing back against it as well and quickly fled Ar’lissa’s body.  Ar’lissa glanced around in surprise, she could see Tashara had also expelled the spirit trying to possess her, but Iz’aphine and Azula both arched backward almost unnaturally as their eyes glowed with the same ichor the Nightsister did.  Ar’lissa grimaced as she swung her Nightstinger, toggling the selector switch and took aim at Iz’aphine, “I hope you can forgive me.”  and pulled the trigger.  The blue concentric arcs of energy hit Iz’aphine square in the chest and she collapsed to the ground as if her strings had been cut as green ichor surrounded Tashara’s hands as she used her Nightsister magic to yank one of Azula’s two blasters out of her hand, “We have to stop them before the spirits can permanently take hold!”

The spirit controlling Azula hissed, “These bodies are ours now!” as she took aim with her remaining blaster and fired at Ar’lissa but the blast deflected off of her armor, burning through part of Ar’lissa's swirling cloak.  The other possessed Nightsisters summoned bows into their hands and fired at Ar’lissa but only one of the plasma bolts was close to hitting Ar’lissa deflecting off of her armor while the other shot sailed wide. 

The lead possessed Nightsister hissed, “I’ll strengthen you both to take your new hosts.” and began casting, her hands glowing as tendrils from the green knee-deep ichor began flowing up and around the two spirits.  Ar’lissa grimaced, she was tempted for a second to just flip the selector switch back to lethal and take the shot from where she was, but the pained look Tashara had on her face made her quickly reconsider.  She would want the same restraint shown if someone she cared about was possessed.   Quickly closing to stun range Ar’lissa fired at the lead possessed Nightsister and once again her talent and skill allowed the concentric arcs of energy to hit with precision and the Nightsister stumbled back into the alter before collapsing into the misty ichor.  The two spirits screamed in agony as the spell was disrupted, their forms dissipating for a moment before flashing out of sight.  Tashara quickly focuses on her magic again and with a little effort managed to pulled the other blaster out of Azula’s hand, “You’re my friend, I don’t want to hurt you!”

The spirit controlling Azula smirked evilly behind her helmet as she quickly unsheathed Azula’s serrated beskad sword.   “She can’t help you now!”  Turning, she charged Ar’lissa shouting, “You’ll pay for destroying my sister’s spirits!”  Ar'lissa tried to doge out of the way of the slashing blade but the possessed Azula quickly thrust it back forward and the tip found one of the small gaps in Ar’lissa’s armor’s plates cutting deep into her side as two plasma bolts from the possessed Nightsister’s bows slammed into her, her armor absorbing most of the blows but still burning her skin behind the impact.  The possessed Azula grinned evilly as she savagely pulled the blade out taunting, “That’s a mortal wound, but allow me to put you out of your misery now!” and swung to try and disembowel Ar’lissa.  Ar’lissa snarled “I’m not dead yet.” as she deflected the blade off of her forearm armor and snapped the rifle stock into Azula’s helmet causing her to recoil back and giving Ar’lissa the precious room she needed to backpedal out of striking range.  Leveling her Nightstinger and taking quick aim she squeezed the trigger and the possessed Azula collapsed to the precise stun blast.

Tashara quickly charged forward swinging the flat of her dusk blade at the possessed Nightsister standing to the right of the alter but the Nightsister quickly parried with her bow before dropping it and drawing her own blade to her hands trying to swing back but Tashara was able to just parry it away from her.  The remaining possessed Nightsister quickly fired two shots from her bow, the plasma bolts burning through the gaps in Ar’lissa’s armor.  Ar’lissa grimaced as she fought through the pain, blood now freely trickling down her armor from the stab wound.   She knew from seeing it happen to a Chiss comrade in arms during a training exercise mishap that she was bleeding out and had maybe minutes left to live.  She was sure as hell going to make those minutes count.  She leveled her Nightstinger at the unengaged sister, taking pained hitched breath and holding it, she pulled the trigger.  While not as clean a hit as the others the stunning blast did its job.  “How do we free the others!”

Tashara swung her blade in several smooth strokes past the possessed Nightsister’s guard, the cuts designed not to kill, but to cause enough pain so she would pass out which seemed to do the trick as collapsed in a heap.  “I don’t know, there’s power radiating from the altar maybe if we disrupt it?”

Ar’lissa shouldered her rifle and reaching behind her back she pulled out both guard shoto hilts and ignited the lightsabers, the sapphire and obsidian energy seemingly absorbing the dim light of the room rather than radiating it.   As she stepped up to the altar, she could hear Ra’lya’s concerned voice in her head, “You need medical treatment.”

Ar’lissa whispered back as she brought the blades up over her head, “It’s too late, I’m on borrowed time.”  Ar’lissa quickly slammed the blades down into the altar, nearly shattering it.  The green energy infused in the altar exploded out and the people who were possessed suddenly rose off of the cavern floor arching backwards as sickly green spirits were seemingly drawn out of their bodies.  The spirits' screams echoed in the chamber as their incorporeal bodies seemed to wink out of existence.  Ar’lissa ran to Iz’aphine as she shut down her lightsabers, quickly sliding on her knees the last bit of the way she managed to catch Iz’aphine’s body before it crashed back to the ground, resting it against her own.  Quickly re-holstering the hilts behind her back, Ar’lissa desperately checked for a pulse as she felt her own pulse start to slow from blood loss.  Breathing a sigh of relief when she found one, she gently set the Iz’aphine’s unconscious body down and then slumped down next to her.  She looked over at Tashara who was over checking Azula and retracted her faceplate and visor.  She looked at Iz’aphine with a mixture of love and sadness, “Tashara, please tell her I’m sorry...”

Tashara looked horrified as she realized what was happening, getting up to run over to her. “No! there has to be something.”

The green mist around Ar’lissa started turning the same obsidian and sapphire colors as the lightsaber's energy as it turned into a thick ichor.  This new ichor flowed around her body and the Chiss Heart crystal that powered her armor before pulling away from her and coalescing into a humanoid shape that looked exactly like Ar’lissa only older and without the helmet.  Tashara skidded to a halt looking bewildered as Ar’lissa blinked looking up at Ra’lya in a mixture of concern and shock as she coughed out.  “That’s different way for you to appear...you being all dramatic for me?”

Ra’lya quickly knelt down trying to look calm and reassured but Ar’lissa could see the concern in her glowing eyes. “Figure it out later.  Stay still, I’m going to try and heal ya.”  Ra’lya reached out and placed her hands just above the wound and started to concentrate, her hands starting to glow the same obsidian and blue mixture.  Ar’lissa could feel some of her injuries fading but the bleeding continued as the glow faded.  Ra’lya let out a curse before hissing, “I’m not going to fail, it’s not your time to become one with the Force.”

Ra’lya concentrated again and her hands began to glow but this time obsidian and sapphire tendrils of ichor with veins of gold flowed out from her hands and into the wound.  Ar’lissa arched her back slightly as the tendrils mended the internal damage before flowing back out over her body and closing the wound as if it never existed.  Ar’lissa looked up at Ra’lya in stunned disbelief as Ra’lya breathed a deep sigh of relief.  Her eyes going wide in surprise as she realized she could actually smell the musty air of the cavern.  Instinctively she reached out, the glove on her hand disappearing, and touched Ar’lissa’s cheek.  Feeling the touch of warm flesh instead of the normal feeling of just pressure.  Ar’lissa’s eyes mirrored Ra’lya’s as she reached up and was actually able to touch Ra’lya’s hand and feel it’s texture, “How?”

Ra’lya smiled, “Nay a clue.  But I’m not complaining.”

Tashara looked dumbfounded as she finally continued forward, “By the Winged Goddess!”

Ra’lya quickly helped Ar’lissa to her feet, savoring the feeling of actual physical contact after all this time.  Ar’lissa shrugged, “It’s a long story.  Tashara, this is Ra’yla, my ancestor.  It seems like the ichor allowed her to take caporal form.”

Tashara raised her hand and gave a weak wave, “Uh hi.”

Ra’lya couldn’t help but smirk a little, “Nice to officially meet you.  I’m sure you have some questions.”

Tashara nodded, eyes still wide.  “I’ve not seen anyone outside of Nightsisters summon spirits and undead warriors.”

Ra’lya shrugged not entirely sure how much she wanted to reveal.  “Let’s just say Ar’lissa and I share an almost unique bond.  One that seems to have just gotten stronger.  I hope that you can keep this between the four of us.”

Tashara looked confused for a moment, “Four?  Oh, Iz’aphine knows.  I don’t like keeping this from Azula, though she’s going to find out when she wakes up, I guess.”

Ra’lya bit her lip for a moment, “I’ll disappear before she wakes up.”

Ar’lissa looked around cautiously, “What should we do with the other Nightsisters?”

Tashara turned to look over at where they were laying, the knee-deep mist around the altar starting to dissipate reveling their unconscious bodies around the ruins of the altar, “Let’s put them together where you can watch them.  I need to perform a ritual and then meditate in here for a bit.”

Ar’lissa nodded in agreement, and they quickly moved the three Nightsister bodies away from the ruined altar and then Tashara knelt down in what was now a shin deep mist and after making several gestures and speaking a few alien sounding phrases started concentrating as the green ichor swirled around her, seemingly being absorbed by her hands.  Ra’lya sighed, “I should return to the crystal.”

Ar’lissa knelt down and placed her hand in the mist, “I wonder...” a small amount of the green mist slowly started to swirl around her hand changing into the same obsidian and sapphire ichor before she could feel it seep into her hand.  Ar’lissa looked up at Ra’yla with a hopeful smile. “Maybe I can tap into the ichor like Tashara and those Nightsisters did, store it and we can use it so you can take an even more physical form then your wraith form.”

Ra’lya’s eyes lit up for a moment and then she tried to hide her hopefulness, “I...I can’t ask you to do something like that just for me.” 

Ar’lissa stood up, keeping an eye on the other still unconscious Nightsisters and gave a sly smile, “Well to be honest it wouldn’t just be for you.  I kind of like the idea of summoning a weapon to my hand like they did.”

Ra’lya nodded giving a thankful smile to her before giving her own sly smile, “I appreciate it.  Hopefully you’ll still listen to my advice no matter what form I’m in.”

Ar’lissa smirked, “Well only if it’s good advice, but that’s rare.”

Ra’lya playfully punched her in the shoulder, chuckling, before she began to dissipate into strands of the obsidian and blue ichor that flowed back around Ar’lissa and into the crystal though parts of the ichor seemed to actually flow into Ar’lissa.  Ar’lissa’s eyes widened as she felt the gentle warmth flow into her from the ichor.  When the process finished, she looked over at the Nightsisters, “Whoa, that felt different.”

Ra’lya’s voice resonated in her head, “Yah, I feel it too.  I wonder if the binding ritual used some sort of Nightsister magic?  I was never told how they came about creating the ritual.”

Ar’lissa glanced over at the Nightsisters,  “Maybe the techs found something studying the tomb?”

“Possibly, you’ll have to find a way to ask them.”

They heard a soft moan and Ar’lissa immediately moved over to Iz’aphine and knelt down next to her as she sat up, holding her head and moaning softly, “Well, that spiraled badly.  Ugh, I think I landed on a rock when you stunned me.”  She looked up at Ar’lissa and could see something off in her eyes, “You ok?”

Ar’lissa gently stroked Iz’aphine’s cheek, “Yeah, we’ll talk about it later.  The other Nightsisters could be waking up at any moment and we need to be ready if they are still hostile.”

Iz’aphine slowly nodded as she looked around, “Ok, but where's Azula?”

Ar’lissa gestured over to where she was laying, “Right there, she should be coming around soon as well.”

Iz’aphine nodded as she picked up her blaster and slowly got to her feet with Ar’lissa’s help, “Oh and I do forgive you, but you have to buy the next three rounds at the last drop.”

Ar’lissa chuckled in relief as she saw Iz’aphine’s playful smirk with the drinks comment, “It’s a date.”

They both turned as the lead Nightsister began to stir.  They quickly leveled their weapons at her and the Nightsister slowly raised her hands as she sat up, “I have no wish to fight you, you freed me from the spirit’s possession.”

Ar’lissa raised an eyebrow, “Forgive me if I’m a little paranoid at the moment.”

The Nighsiter nodded slowly, trying to make no sudden moves, “Understandable.”

Iz’aphine lowered her blaster pistol slightly, “How did you get possessed?”

The Nightsister glanced over to Tashara before looking back at Iz’aphine scowling, “We were deceived.  We were told of a ritual that could bring back our lost sisters and help rebuild our numbers.”  She gave an angry sigh, “Certain details were obviously omitted.  I could sense while we were possessed that the spirits were trying to set up a more powerful ritual when the four of you interrupted it.”

Iz’aphine nodded, lowering her pistol.  “What’s your name?”

“Thejj Rogara”

“Iz’aphine.”  She gestured to Ar’lissa, “This is my partner, and excellent shot, Ar’lissa.”

Thejj rubbed her back, “So I noticed.”  She glanced over at her sisters lying beside her and gave a sigh of relief when she saw their chests gently rise and fall and bowed her head respectively to Ar’lissa, “I thank you for not killing us.”

Ar’lissa tilted her head slightly back in acknowledgement as they could hear Azula moaning as she started to come around, “You’re welcome.” She slowly lowered her rifle.  “Neet trick with the bows, how do you make them appear in your hand?”

Thejj slowly started to get up and then hearing her sisters starting to recover she turned and help them stand up, “A magic ritual that many of us know.”  She looked back over at Ar’lissa with a curious expression, “I sense you have some power in you.  The ichor reacts to your presence in a strange way.”

Iz’aphine glowered at Thejj as she put her blaster away and started to help Azula to her feet.  She looked over at Ar’lissa and could see the mist swirling around her ankles in a way that couldn’t be explained by Ar’lissa’s movements or air currents in the cave.  Thejj looked at her sisters for a moment and they nodded as if coming to a silent agreement, “If you are willing, we ask that you try to connect to the Ichor.”

Ar’lissa’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, “Why?”

“If you have the gift, it should be nurtured.”

Ra’lya whispered to Ar’lissa, her tone sounding eager for her to try. “I’ll watch your back.”

Ar’lissa reflexively nodded as she shouldered her rifle and turned to Iz’aphine, “Izz...”

Iz’aphine looked into Ar’lissa’s eyes.  Ar’lissa wanted answers, but there was something else with that pain in her eyes.  Something that told her even if it wasn’t a good idea Ar’lissa needed this.  “Don’t think if I have to stun you because you got possessed that gets you out of buying those drinks.  You’re opening yourself up to this.”

Ar’lissa gave her a small smile of appreciation, “Thanks.”  She turned to the Nightsiters. “What do I need to do?”

Thejj nodded to her, “Just step closer to the fissure and concentrate on the ichor, reach your hand out to it.  We’ll take care of the rest.”

As Ar’lissa moved closer to the fissure Iz’aphine stepped over to Azula who looked to be covering Tashara whispering, “Be ready.”

Azula nodded whispering back, “Right, let’s watch as our master markswoman walks into a possible trap.”

“Something like that.  Remember traps can sometimes be turned against the opponent.”

“One can hope if it is a trap, it’s one of those you can turn.”

They watched as Ar’lissa stepped up to the fissure and stretched out her hand as Ray’la whispered, “Take a moment, concentrate on your Third Sight to see the outcome.  I’ll help you.”

Ar’lissa tilted her head slightly as she concentrated on trying to see the immediate future.  Flashes of walking out of the cave with the others carrying a Nightsister bow as a gift.  Thejj showing part of a scroll to the other Nightsisters and mentioning to them a powerful artifact of some sort, but no double cross.  “I think we’re good.” she whispered to Ray’la as she could hear the Nightsisters begin to chant.

Iz’aphine and Azula watched nervously as the green mist began to swirl around Ar’lissa, darkening until its color turned obsidian and became ichor with streaks of sapphire along with gold-colored veins as it flowed into Ar’lissa.  Tashara quickly stood up in surprise as she came out of her own meditation, drawing her weapon.  Iz’aphine quickly responded, “It’s ok Tashara.  Ar’lissa wanted to try this.”  

Tashara looked concerned as the Nightsisters stopped chanting and were also looking on in surprise, “I’ve never seen the ichor do that.”

Thejj turned to them, “Nor have we.”

Tashara turned to Thejj, “Is she in any danger?”

“She doesn’t appear to be as far as we can tell, but we are keeping watch on her.”

She turned back to watch Ar’lissa and after a few tense minutes the mist slowly stopped swirling and changing color around Ar’lissa.  She turned back to them, her expression looked strange, “Well that was different.”  she gestured with her hand and the ichor with obsidian with streaks of sapphire and gold-colored veins flowed up from it almost like a fire.  She quickly closed her fist and the ichor just as quickly dissipated, “I guess it worked.”

Thejj managed to shake off her surprised expression, but couldn’t quite hide her eagerness, “Yes with proper training you can do some incredible things with it.”

Ar’lissa looked over at Tashara, still not sure she could trust Thejj, “I’m sure Tashara can teach me a couple of tricks.  I don’t wish to impose on the others by staying any longer.”

Thejj nodded as the eagerness was replaced with disappointment, “I understand, perhaps when you return to Dathomir to replenish your ichor reserve we can talk again.”

Ar’lissa tilted her head slightly, “Perhaps, as long as spirits don’t try to possess my allies or myself again.”  As she started to walk past the Nightsisters Thejj summoned a bow to her hand and held it out to Ar’lissa, “A gift for seeing the possession for what it was and using restraint.”

Ar’lissa tentatively took the bow from her and nodded respectfully, “I...thank you.”  She quickly walked over to the others, looking at Tashara “All set?”

Tashara nodded, still bewildered by what happened.  “Yeah, but are you ok?”

Ar’lissa tried to look nonchalant as she responded, “I’m fine, let’s head back to the ship.” but Iz’aphine could still see there was still pain in her eyes as well as it looked like maybe she had partially gotten what she needed from the experience, but it might have left her more questions.  Something to discuss with Ar’lissa in private later.

Thejj watched them leave the cavern.  Once they were out of earshot one of the other sisters looked at her, “No disrespect sister, but why did you want to show that outsider how to access the ichor and to offer her training?”

 Thejj turned to the Nightsister, “Couldn’t you sense it Selsizsis?  She has already accessed the ichor’s power.  There was another spirit guiding her, one that was bound to her somehow.”  Thejj pulled an ancient looking scroll from her belt and showed it to Selsizsis.  “She either has access to or found the location to the rest of this scroll that explains how to capture the soul essence of another.  She could also have access to information on other powerful magics, possibly even a powerful artifact or two.  If we can gain her trust, we can access that power as well.”

As the group made their way back to the ship Tashsara positioned herself beside Ar’lissa and gestured to where Ar’lissa had been stabbed.  “How’s the wound?”

Ar’lissa shrugged, “It’s fine, I’ll have Two-Vee check it out when we get back to the ship.”

Azula gave her a look behind her helmet, “It’s fine?  The spirit that possessed me tagged you pretty good.”

“It did, I was able to patch myself up after I stunned everyone, still want Two-Vee to look at it to make sure.”

Azula gave a sigh of relief, “That’s good.  Don’t want you falling over dead on us on the way back.”

Tashara gave Azula a look before turning her attention back to Ar’lissa, “Were you serious about learning Nightsister magic?”

Ar’lissa nodded, “Since I seem to be able to connect to the ichor, I should probably know how to wield it, if only in the most basic sense so I don’t do something that would cause inadvertent damage to myself or others.”

“I can show you a little bit of what I know on the flight back.”

“I would appreciate it, would be nice to be able to summon my rifle like they were able to with their bows.”

“The rifle is a bit too large.  I can show you on the bow they gave you.”

Ar’lissa nodded, “Having a backup weapon they can’t be found or taken away works just as well.”

“I can also give you a few tips on how to use the bow.”

“Thanks, I would appreciate that.”

One hour and a quick checkup with Two-Vee later Iz’aphine confirmed the hyperdrive calculations and with the stars stretching out to lines the Wandering Star jumped into hyperspace.  Ar’lissa did one last habitual check of the controls before leaning back with a heavy sigh.  Iz’aphine raised an eyebrow, “Well at least we the ‘Star didn’t receive any damage this time.”

Ar’lissa turned her head slightly, “My armor took some damage dealing with the Nightsister spirits.  Hopefully Galaron can fix it and it won’t cost us an arm and a leg.”

Iz’aphine pretended to check one of her displays for a moment before asking, “You want to talk about what happened?”

Ar’lissa grimaced before responding, “...Azula wasn’t exaggerating about the injury, I was bleeding out.  I don’t think I could have made it back to Two-Vee in time, and I sure-as-hell wasn’t going to leave you there.   The ichor or whatever the hell it was amplified Ra’lya’s wraith form, made her caporal and she was able to heal me with it on her second try.”  Azula gestured to where the wound should be, “It’s like the wound never even happened.  Here’s the real kicker; When she touched my face, I could actually feel her hand and she said she could feel my face.  I’m not talking about feeling the pressure of something there but the actual texture and warmth of her hand as if it were real.  She said she could also feel the same thing.”  Iz’aphine looked shocked as Ar’lissa continued, “When she returned to the crystal it felt different, there was a warmth.   Normally when she assumes her Wraith form it drains me a little and I lose the agility boost from the armor unless I focus my own power on it, but when she returns to the crystal I don’t feel anything.  I think the ichor enhances our connection somehow.”

Iz’aphine’s expression shifted from shock to nodding in understanding, “And that’s why you wanted to see if you could harness the ichor.”

Ar’lissa nodded, “We both also think it might be related to the ritual that put Ra’yla and Sa’rai’s spirits in the crystals.  I thought that it could also be part of how we trapped Aaravos in the crystal.”

Iz’aphine looked at her strangely, “You don’t know?  I thought you helped perform it?”

“Va’lana and I tried to avoid as much knowledge about the future as we could.  Asoka and Sabine were the ones who discovered the ritual and from what Ra’lya and Sar’ai indicated it seemed different than the one that was used on her.   While both of us could possibly recreate the ritual, we didn’t bring anything about it with us in case it could be used to release him.”  Ar’lissa sighed, “And we still could be looking at that very possibility if they manage to find all the shard pieces.”

Iz’aphine looked concerned, “We should alert Va’lana when we get back to our apartment.”

“Good idea, she can start looking into finding info on the binding ritual so if we have to trap him again, we can.  I also want to see if they can send us a copy of the recordings the U.A.G. took of the tomb, there may be clues hidden there as well.”

Iz’aphine nodded, “I reach out under the aspects of helping to research the symbols seeing as how we are in lesser space.”

Ar’lissa sighed again, “I have a feeling this thing with Aavaros is going to come to a head sooner rather than later.”