Shadows of Bankor

Perhaps it was the arrival of the Inquisitor had unnerved her more than she thought. To have such a display of Imperial might on a customs checkpoint.

It worried her.

That's how it started. They start looking in one place, and spread their grip over a whole system. And suffering increased.

Any of the old order were their primary target. But there were more traditions that they would snuff out.

She walked. Maybe someone already told those of the Enclave. But maybe not.

From behind Juri, footsteps could be heard. Footsteps, combined with a tapping that matched alongside them. Not perhaps the usual sound, but it usually meant, for those who knew her, that Qareme was nearby. The large Zabrak had decided to widen her walk to other parts of the city, to see the damage done. She couldn't imagine any would have attacked the Aznuri Enclave, but the new management on Bankor was certainly nastier.

He wandered in here. Something had led him, compelled him. When he saw the cowled figure lingering at the verge of the restricted area, he was not even surprised; the connection had manifested before. But he was genuinely glad.

Approaching without haste, however, he noticed another one approaching - and of his kin, however distant. He adopted caution.

Jurdak headed into the enclave to see what was going on there this evening and see if any of the exiles needed anything. He enjoyed checking in on other people that understood the value of nature and had such a deep connection to it.

It seemed the temple was busy tonight and Dak nodded to the two ladies within. "Hello there Juri, lovely seeing you here tonight, I dont believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your friend.

She felt her before she saw her. The hood fell from her overcoat, long foxtail now held up by a rather wicked looking hairpin. Her eyes focused on the Zabrak women, a smile in greeting. Then the sound of Jurdak, and she brightened.

"Dak! I've just gotten back." She spoke out, then the corner of her eye. Her smile grew fuller, seeing the other Zabrak, Daunt.

"My friend? Ah! You mean Qareme." Her accent carried the name easily, having known many Zabrak her entire life. "Qareme, this is Jurdak. People call him Dak. An old friend of mine." She moved through introductions, though she seemed to instinctively move, making space for Daunt to join them.

"I was coming here, to bring some news to the Aznuri."

Daunt indeed joined them, stepping out of falling shadows. His eye-contact with Juri was brief, but intense, and above all things signalled... relief. But he wouldn't allow himself to be exposed for whatever attachment he had for the witch, so his gaze, the colour of molten nuclear fuel, swept to the other of his kin, a concoction of sternness and curiosity.

"A small irony here is that I know all of you save the other of my kin. Where are you from, one called Qareme?"

The Aznuri looked from their windows and some even came out to give the laowai the Witch Eye. One approached them and said, "Laowai, what brings you to our humble place of peace?"

Qareme came to a stop, her gaze moving across the two males she did not know, before stopping on the woman she did. There was a dip of the head in greeting.

"Sister Juri. It appears there is many gathering this evening. Fate perhaps."

Her gaze then moved back to the others again. Her expression neutral, almost cold.

"Good evening, all three of you. It does not surprise me that we have not met, I have known very few of my specie as I spent perhaps less than five years of my life on Iridonia. I am from Bankor, this is my home."

Her gaze returned to Juri as well as the ones that approached her.

"Have the Aznuri suffered from this mornings...unwelcome hostilities?"

"Yes... fate." She mused, her lips pursed. There is no Fate. There is only the Force. She settled comfortably against Daunt, standing tall, firmly in confidence of her own ability. She was about to speak, when the Aznuri woman approached.

"Good Evening." She boxed her head, before her eyes fell to the woman. "I've come with a... concern to bring to you all. But perhaps it is best spoken without so much potential for strange ears?"

Especially with the Imperial crackdown.

If Daunt had meant to say something, he reconsidered upon the appearance of an Aznuri. He was comfortable with being the tacit yet extra-verbally significant support for his witch.

Qareme tilted her head, looking at Juri. Unsure if the woman was including Qareme in this private discussion or not.

She said to Qareme, "We endure."

Sister Hulia gestured for them to follow and brought them to a garden away from the main thoroughfare. There waited a second woman and said, “Why do you bring these laowai here, Sister?”

Hulia said, “One says she has something important to tell us.”

Around they can see score marks from blaster fire but neither woman seems harmed.

Dak returned Juri's smile and restricted himself from embracing her, showing such familiarity around unknown quantities was not his usual style. "Juri, I'm glad you made it back in one piece."

When sister Hulia arrived Dak bowed his head in deference and when told to follow he did so as quietly as Daunt.

The other stood and waited to see what news was brought forward.

When the group was all ushered in, she bowed to the two Sisters. "I am sorry to trespass. I did not intend to with so many companions, but perhaps it was fate..." the Force "... that brought us here together." She looked to Sister Hulia, speaking in a quiet, respectful tone.

"I returned to Bankor this morning with a refugee vessel. During the customs procedure, I noticed they had a new supervisor." She took a deep breath, and then sighed.

"An Imperial Inquisitor is on Bankor. Things will likely be getting worse."

Dak's eyes widened a bit, he had heard tales of inquisitors but had never seen one before. Knowing the people he heard the stories from it was hard to tell what was myth and what was factual. The Cathar remain silent for a few moments longer, letting the room react.

The two women nodded and then spoke in their language which seemed similar to Basic but had obviously diverged over the 3 millennia since the Aznuri became a people but what they could tell sounded like an animated conversation and they catch words like Calm and Elders… and Darkness and Sith.

Hulia then said in Basic, “We are thankful for this warning, this Inquisitor is bad for all, all who do not see Empire as true ruler.”


The other said, “What is your price for this knowledge, laowai, it is not like your people to care for the fates of mine. You are not Aznuri, so you must want something.”

"We are all part of the same whole. What threatens one may in turn threaten the other." She shook her head. "While I would seek your friendship, and to share my knowledge with your people, what motivates me is survival. For all." She responded, a hand extended.

"I may not be Aznuri. But I am a Witch of a different sort. And the Inquisitor will likely see no difference.'

"An Inquisitor is dangerous to us all, regardless of who we call brother or sister. I have seen much suffering already that can be credited to his way, and he has been here a day" Qareme commented quietly as she observed.

“A Witch you say,” she says giving Juri the Witch Eye… basically a glare.

“Perhaps laowai, we shall see if you merit friendship, but you bring words of warning to the people. It would be rude to not see such goodwill, though I am curious why you seek our friendship. Many have come with smiles of friendship to the Aznuri and most seek something we have.”

She looked at Qareme and then said, “Perhaps that is true, but still we must be wary Sister. If we are seen to act against this Inquisitor it may bring the wrath of their Empire on the people.”

Hulia said with a calm tone, “I will not consider anything Sister till I have spoke with the other elders. This Inquisitor, it is of the great darkness, an evil. It is Sith. That is an enemy to the people, but still we must consider our people and their safety.”

“Sister Viati is right, our friendship is not bought but earned and this is a good step.”

"I understand the concern of thieves appearing as friends. My people knew of threats like that, too." She nodded. "And I wouldn't want to be placed with the likes of them. You have your traditions. They should be respected, not stolen." She was sincere as she spoke, looking to the two Aznuri, grateful for Qareme's support.

Hulia sighed and said, “Is this why all of you have come?”

Dak lowered his head deferntially "This one simply came to see if there was anything the enclave needed. I planned on soon taking a trip into the land of your people. I respect your people and have found the time I have spent with them to be incredibly enlightening." He took a deep breath "The presence of the inquisitor is really bad news for everyone, I will help in any way that I can."

Emerging from a back room, Ru'ni offered a nod of acknowledgement to Qareme, who he recognised from the crashed transport yesterday.

He took in the sight of the other laowai with little reaction, after all he had much faith in the Sisters to take care of any intruders.