Fellowship of the Dice

Ashara looks relaxed. "I was away from the village for a few weeks, gathering herbs for Mother Talzin. When I got back, I saw lots of dead nightsisters, and also some destroyed droids. That is all I know. I'd guess almost everyone from the village is dead."

Brother Viscus looks at her and then says, "Then you are a scavenger. Looting our fallen sisters."

As she looks on, she notices the Nightbrothers have bandages and wounds. They stand tall and proud, but she can tell they often shift their weight and lean heavier towards some directions. Their faces appear to be angry which masks any pain they might be going through.

"Leave the Nightsisters' weapons and anything else you stole and we may let you live." Putting an emphasis on his statement, he plants his staff into the ground.

"Your village has suffered an attack too, didn't it? I am sorry for your losses as well, but I *will* not allow you tarnish the relationship I had with Mother Talzin. You will take back what you said what me being a scavenger. She was my mentor. It is because of her that I learned how to survive here. Ask the youngling Merrin about how I protected her from an adult Belonuk."

She slings the bow around herself, in preparing for drawing her saber if need be. "You don't have to let me into the village, but my honor is my own. And if you don't like it, I'll be happy to duel you one on one to prove the strength of conviction."

As Ashara speaks Merrin's name, she notices the young girl peering around the gate. "If the Clan Mother has taught you. Then you may enter.... You may enter through the cave. If what you speak is true, then we shall provide you with one food and rest for one night." Pointing his staff to the south, she can see stones leading to a mound. The mound is dozen or more meters away from the village.

Ashara waves to Merrin. "I'll be with you later. I'm going to take the *scenic* route into the village."

She turns back to Brother Viscus. "I shall pass your test. May the Force be with you." with that, she heads towards the cave entrance.If there is no light inside, she will ignite her saber to use as a light source.

As Ashara approaches the entrance, she notices there's not many tracks leading into or out of the cave. The overgrowth appears that it hasn't be used in months or maybe years. Once she enters the cave, she notices it is a natural cave and sees no signs of construction work or digging. The path immediately makes a turn which shrouds the remaining part of the cave in total darkness.

snap-hiss

Using her lightsaber to guide her, she moves slowly forward. As her eyes adjust, distant screams come from further ahead in the cave. A pale greenish-yellow glow rises from the ground and coalesces into the ghostly forms of a several Dathomirian males walking forward into the cave with pole weapons and staves.

The togruta woman grips her saber tightly, and then forces herself to relax. If whatever in this cave wants her to prove herself, she can certainly do that! With deep breaths, she approaches and waits at a choke point so she cannot be surrounded. "Fear the afterlife, you do not? Then come at me, pale ghosts!"

Ashara shows no fear.

The former padawan stands resolute and unmoving when the ghostly manifestations form. The pale greenish-yellow glow reminders Ashara of the Nightsisters' magicks which were surrounded in a similar glow and color.

As she steels herself and moves forward with lightsaber in hand lighting the way, she feels a cold breeze that sends a chill down her spine and raises the hair on the back of her neck. The ghostly forms of the Dathomirian Zabrak males evaporate into the red mist which coalesces in a swirling motion a few meters ahead of her.

A faded, barely discernible voice emanates from the red mist, "Ashara..." The voice, unrecognizable at first, calls her name. As she hears it say her name over and over, she begins to recognize the voice as ... Tannon, her deceased lover.

"Nightsister magic. I wonder if it's all fake, or whether they could've actually hurt me..."

Her musings are interrupted as she feels that chill down her spine. She turns around to look behind her. Seeing nothing, she faces forward again and sees the swirling red mist. But more importantly, that voice...that disembodied voice...

"T...Tannon? Is that you? It can't be...you're gone. You're not here. This is a trick. You're not just waiting for me in a rnadom cave."

Ashara approaches the voice.

As she steps forward, the red mists swirl around her and then ahead of her. About two meters away, the red mists begins to take shape and form the outline of a figure on their knees ... a male Togruta with his head raised ... Before the mists forms a discernible figure, she knows who it is ... Tannon.

The manifestation of her late lover kneels looking up at a second figure formed of the greenish-yellow glow of the same source as the Dathomirian Zabraks which initially greeted her at the mouth of the cave. This robed and hooded figure holds a long weapon and their eyes glow yellow. As the elongated weapon begins to take shape, it's clear to the former padawan that it is a lightsaber.

The ghostly figure sweeps the lightsaber across the Togruta's neck. As Tannon's head falls from its still kneeing body, the assailant removes their hood to reveal ... Ashara. The apparition is an mirror image of herself! The greenish-yellow image of Ashara begins to dissipate. And the red mists of Tannon begin to solidify and fall to the ground forming puddles of a red liquid.