strange things did happen here Who: Issan, Dee & Maddie. What: The newly-formed coven makes their first talisman. When: Following this thread. Where: At the former Imperial outpost on Lok. Rating: um- PG13?
Issan took her charges to a nearby inn near the local outpost; the owners didn't see much traffic, and offered her an extremely low rate to fill up three rooms. She used credits she had carefully stored away for an emergency need such as this, and at the sign of a decent payment, the innkeepers were falling all over themselves to be good hosts. Food and drink were had, and the three women conferred in Issan's rooms after they had rested; on the third day, Issan invited them to her rooms again, to begin discussions on their coven's next steps.
A knock at the door prompted her to open it, a smile appearing easily on her face as she saw her students -- her fellow sisters, she mentally corrected, feeling a thrill at using the word -- and invited them inside.
"How are you feeling?" She closed the door behind them, her black robes making a soft swish on the dirty floor; she motioned to the bed, inviting them to sit. "Food is coming; we'll eat, and then we'll talk."
Madalena cast a glance at Dee before sliding into the room and taking a seat on the bed. She shuffled back to give Dee space to sit beside her, if she chose. “I’m better, I think,” she said. “I felt so tired I thought I’d never feel rested again.”
Dee nodded. She sat down beside Madalena. Her hands curled around the edge of the mattress. Dark shadows still pooled beneath her eyes, but her gaze was brighter than it had been. "I slept like the dead," she said. "I'm certainly looking forward to a good meal. I wouldn't say no to some alcohol, either."
Issan smirked at Dee's remark. "I thought as much; I have some wine coming. It'll help us all relax." Taking a chair from the corner, she pulled it out to close beside her sisters, sitting down with an audible sigh. They were all tired, but their work was not yet close to completion.
"What did my aunt tell you of the covens?" She was casting for a starting place, unsure of how to introduce them to the talismans. They had spoken briefly on their education at the Vox home on Nar Chunna, but Issan was interested in the finer details. "Did she show you any spells?"
Based on the question, Madalena wasn’t quite sure if Sia had been meant to tell them of the covens; she wasn’t quite sure if there was a right answer here or not. “She spoke mostly of their history. And we learned some spells. I definitely recall the sleeping potion we made,” she said, grinning at Dee.
Dee chuckled. "I bet you do," she teased. Smiling still, she folded her hands in her lap, and thought back over what training they had had. "Some spells, yes. There were several where we had to work together, combining our Force abilities. Building on one another, you could say."
Issan nodded, listening carefully. "Yes, that's it exactly. That's good, that you practiced. What I want--" Her voice was cut off mid-sentence by a knock on the door. Issan rose, and answered it; a moment later, a hotel steward carried in a serving tray with a few plates on it. A second server followed with a bottle and three wine glasses. Everything was deposited carefully on a table in a far corner of the room; Issan gave generous tips to both men -- all the better to buy their silence with -- and they exited as quickly and as quietly as they had come.
"As I was saying -- please, help yourself -- I would have us attempt the creation of a talisman. The ability to do so will strongly establish our group, and from there we can focus our abilities and our goals." She approached the table and unstoppered the bottle, then poured one of the glasses a third full. Holding it out, she offered it to Dee.
The priestess gladly took it. She wanted to tip the glass back and drain it in a single go, but that seemed wildly inappropriate. She curled her hands around it and waited patiently until the urge had passed. She allowed herself one small sip, then set the glass down and reached for one of the plates.
As she served herself, she glanced from Issan to Madalena and back again, reading both their faces for any hint of emotion. Excitement brightened her face and sparked a new light in her eyes, but for the moment she held her tongue, content to wait to hear more.
Issan helped herself to a small plate, then reseated herself.
"We'll start with something small, and simple. A ring with a single task, but we will need to gather the materials needed. I believe we can find them here on Lok without issue."
Madalena gathered some of the food on a plate and poured a more reasonable portion of wine than she would have liked. She returned to where she’d been sitting and sat down to begin eating. Before her first bite, though, curiosity overwhelmed her.
“What task?”
"The binding of a soul." Issan's response held no hesitancy, and she took a bite of her food as though she had merely commented on the weather.
Madalena’s eyebrows shot up. She felt she was going to enjoy this task. And this new sisterhood. Perhaps much more than she’d initially thought. Still, Issan’s reply had only made Madalena more curious.
“To what end?” Madalena wondered briefly if she were asking too many questions.
"And what soul?" Dee blinked. Her utensil scratched across her plate. "I've done binding spells before, but a soul? I suppose it isn't much different from the typical spirit bindings, but 'soul' implies it also has a corporeal form that must be controlled."
"It does," Issan replied, resting her hands by her plate. Her gaze flicked between Dee and Maddie, unflinching. She took in a deep breath, letting it out as she carefully selected her next words. "Please believe me that when I refuse to tell you something, I am doing so for your own safety. I would rather that I did not have so many...secrets, but it protects you and others if you know less than you'd like. But I will always tell you as much as I can, when it does not put you in danger." She let her preface sink in for a moment, before continuing.
"My ally is seeking to control an entity who wishes entrance into the Order. This ring will provide him that ability, and a measure of safety I would rather he have," she explained, her words dipping into an emotion that was better not named. "This entity would give us power against our enemies, and a protection for ourselves -- against the Order, against Kylo." Her last words rang out as her gaze turned back to Dee's, underscoring the remark.
Madalena’s eyes darted to Dee.
Dee's jaw clenched tight. The secrecy did not appeal to her, but she understood its need. She considered her ignorance toward the rift and the ways of this galaxy to be one of the few things that had helped her face Kylo Ren. If it could protect her again, though it chafed her, so be it. There would be time for answers later, when the looming threat had passed.
"And you're certain the ring will work? Is there a way for us to test it?" She paused, and then the true question revealed itself. "What if we fail?"
Issan fell quiet in the face of Dee's question, though her gaze did not. She seemed to be searching for something, whether it was to say or do was not quite clear.
"We must not," she finally settled on. "I feel that we will know. If we had time, I would that we could create one ring and test it, and then recreate it to ensure that it works as proposed, but things are moving too quickly.
"I know this is not the answer you are looking for," she continued, her voice deflating a little. "I would not rush this, if it were at all possible. But we are not alone -- we have each other. That alone will give us a stronger advantage than if we were attempting this as a single person. You felt the strength and the precision of the coven when you worked with my aunt, did you not?"
Madalena set her plate aside and reached out to place a hand on Issan’s knee.
“Of course we felt it,” she said. “And still, we do. But it is precisely because of that that we feel we need to question. We cannot be as effective as you need us to be if we are forced to navigate blindly.” Her voice was soothing, calm and reassuring. “And I think neither of us wish to see you the way you were when you returned to your aunt’s home.”
Issan reached out and touched Maddie's hand with her own, careful not to spill her plate; her actions were tempered with a smile.
"I don't fault you for questioning me; how else will you learn?" She rubbed her thumb along the back of Maddie's hand. "I am your teacher, but I would also have us all be equals. We are together in this; we rise and fall depending on our cooperation. If I ever give you cause to doubt, please, don't think that I wouldn't accept your objections."
Dee put down her wine glass, already nearly empty. She licked the heady taste from her darkly stained lips. "I don't think it's you we doubt," Dee said. "But these tasks are difficult and the stakes are high. Neither of us want to be the cause of… poor results, or worse, for your ally. And even less, the cause of your being hurt again. I believe that we can do this, but it's impossible not to fear the odds against us."
“I agree,” Madalena nodded. “We don’t doubt your abilities or your intentions at all. You’ve given us no cause to. But of course it’s always best to be prepared for whatever may happen, even the worst.”
Issan glanced between them, a smile warming her features; she looked stunned, but not unhappily so. "The Goddess truly did send you both to me. We face a large task, but I have faith that we will complete it. I refuse to let us fail." She took another bite of her food, then put her plate aside; she rose, crossing to the other side of the room, retrieving a book from a bag on the floor. She began to flip through it.
"From what I understand, we will need a life for a life to create what I am imagining. I have some experience in the control of animals, but humans and other sentient lifeforms have not been my forte. With animals, it is the suppression of the will over theirs; I believe this can be stretched into another's mind, with the additional lifeforce as a weight. Effectively, it would weigh down the target, and forcing the new will -- the owner's, the ring wearer's -- on top of it."
She brought the book, opening it to a specific page; it showed a ring, a sketch of two forms superimposed over one another, and words written in another language. "This is for protecting one's own spirit in the body, but I believe it can be turned outward."
Madalena leaned in to take a closer look at the page. The craftsmanship was excellent; she admired the artwork as she considered Issan’s words. Taking a life would be easy enough - but changing the spell? Her brow furrowed as she wondered how safe that could be, but she said nothing.
Dee finished the final bite of her food. Her eyes had scarcely left the book since Issan had retrieved it, darting up to her teacher's face only a moment at the mention of taking a life. The prospect did not trouble Dee in and of itself; she had taken more than she could count, and there would be more before the end. The nature of the life they took was a niggling concern, but one she could put aside for the time being.
She set her utensil down and moved her chair closer to Issan, peering over onto the page. "How much manipulation of the original spell will be required? That's always a touchy proposition."
"I think we would branch off here," Issan replied, holding the book by its top and pointing with her free hand. "Where normally the spell would be focused inwardly, we would reverse the trajectory and then pinpoint it via a Force connection, or perhaps a physical touch?
"It would be best to cover as many avenues as possible, though this will make it more difficult for us. I don't know the full extent of the being we are targeting, so we'll have to widen our net as much as possible." Her eyes held a glimmer of hope, watching Dee carefully. "What do you think? Is this similar to anything you've done in the past?"
"Similar, yes," Dee said. She thought a moment, then continued. Her voice did not change as she did, but her excitement grew, showing brightly in her eyes. "In my experience, touch has always provided the strongest connection. If we could touch the being we're attempting to bind, or at least an entity of its kind, I would feel more certain about the binding. But it's possible even without that, especially if you could share further information on the type of creature we're binding, or even its individual personality or mentality. I would prefer to be close to both of you, touching if possible, and touching the ring as well. I don't trust a simple Force connection to provide the same strength."
Issan's mouth pressed into a hard line. "I don't know the nature of the being, beyond it having a strong will and a chaotic mind. I half suspect it came through the rift, so it's unlikely that there's another of its kind here, in our galaxy. I may be able to garner more information, but for the time being, we must aim to make the ring as powerful as possible.
"And do not mistake the Force for something 'simple;' there are those who can unmend and unwind a person's mind with a simple thought. I am also unsure that getting near this entity is a wise choice, but again, we must cover all available avenues as thoroughly as possible."
Madalena cut her eyes to Dee, who had faintly flushed beneath the soft chiding. “What avenues are you currently drawn toward?” She asked, looking back to Issan. “Is there a certain way that seems to stand out more to you?”
"A combination of touch and Force attachment would seem to be the wisest," Issan replied, still holding the book out. "Is any of this something you're familiar with in your own world?"
“Sadly, no,” Madalena replied. “My world wasn’t very receptive to people with … inexplicable abilities.” She frowned. Hoped Issan wouldn’t ask for more information.
There was a great deal of information hidden in that beat, Dee thought; she looked to Madalena, searching her face for the truth she did not speak.
"It's all right," she said. "With what we've learned here so far, and what I've done in the past, I'm sure you'll pick up on this quickly. It's an aggressive spell, in my opinion, and you've shown an aptitude for that. I'm sure Sia and Esaaj would agree."
Issan moved over Madalena's statement, or lack thereof, without so much as a hint of hesitation. "Between the three of us, I feel confident that we will figure this out. We should start by focusing on the necessary items the spell calls for."
One delicate, white hand moved down the page, pointing at a section. "This is where it details the ingredients. We'll need a receptacle to hold the Force power we're imbuing into the ring; here it details a lifeforce as the most malleable for this type of spellwork, and I think a digit from the person in question would work well for that. It would reinforce the physical aspect of the spell."
“A finger.” Madalena’s voice was flat. “That’s all?” She’d been expecting worse, to be honest.
"No, we'll be taking more than a finger," Issan replied, glancing up from the page to Maddie. "The digit will merely act as the receptacle, but we'll still need a soul to suppress another soul. Are you having second thoughts?"
“Oh,” Madalena said, straightening. “No, no second thoughts. I really --” she paused briefly. “I really thought there’d be more, that’s all.” She tried not to look disappointed. She wasn’t a monster, after all.
Issan settled a hand on Madelena's shoulder. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Madelena; there will be a time and a place for it. For now, we should start small."
Dee nodded. Her gaze moved from the book to each of the women. She let Madalena's enthusiasm feed her own, and embraced the thought of the unique work to be done. The strength of this spell was clear, if it could be enacted correctly; if nothing else, it was a new skill to take home with her someday, to bolster the power of her kindred at home. She drew a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
"Then let's get started," she said.
* * *
Three black-cloaked figures made their way into the streets of the former Imperial outpost; the late hour had emptied the streets of other living souls, which was a boon in their favor. Issan lead the trio, keeping to the shadows as she led them further into a poorer part of the outpost, seeking out souls.
Pulling them into an alley briefly, she faced her sisters.
"Reach out, and tell me what you feel."
Madalena stretched her consciousness out into the area around them. She felt a lingering depression, an overall atmosphere of isolation and hopelessness. “It feels so -- sad,” she replied.
Beneath the heavy black folds of her hood, Dee nodded. The air around them was heavy, weighed down by the oppressive fog of despondency. To take their victim from this place would almost be a mercy, she thought.
She reached out with the Force, letting her awareness pour through the streets within and beyond her view. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out all but that extraordinary sense. A new image came slowly into focus: inside several corners of the city's perfectly squared streets cowed figures lingered, clinging to the walls for warmth and security.
"Two men," she said, "and four women. The women keep together… avoiding the men, I believe." She looked to Issan, a frown stirring at the corner of her mouth. "Most of them are intoxicated in one way or another."
Issan nodded; she could feel them as well, her own Force abilities confirming what her sisters were sensing. "That may be useful to our endeavor. Follow your senses, and lead us there."
Madalena reached out, searching for the people Dee had found. They were easy enough to spot once she pushed through the haunting feeling of the space around them. She also realized she was hyper-aware of the women with her. From this point forward, Madalena knew she was out of her comfort zone, her realm of experience, more so than ever before. Her uncertainty threatened to get the best of her, but unwilling to appear weak or hesitant, she started carefully forward toward the targets Dee had found.
Dee kept close to Madalena as they moved forward; she sensed her sister's discomfort, and knew the work ahead of them was too difficult and dangerous to risk presenting anything less than a united front. She found herself wishing Hannah was with them. The mage was ever at the forefront of battle, pressing more aggressively onward the more trying the task at hand. But Dee could fill that role now, if it was necessary. She moved on into the darkness, following the road as she saw it in her mind.
The two men were on opposite ends of the same road. The four women were huddled between them, gathered in a crossroads where they could see all who approached. Dee entered the wide lane at its western end, half a block from where the first man lay seized by fitful dreams. She opened her eyes and stretched out her hand, silently pointing at the pile of dirty blankets he had made into a sort of nest.
Issan followed her students, the three of them making a triad as they moved. Her gaze moved along the plane Dee had created, landing on the makeshift bedding; her head bobbed in an acquiescing nod, and she moved ahead of them. The man was deep inside his cocoon, thrashing every now and again as something in his head made to attack. For a moment, Issan wished she had Glasya's ability to mentally manipulate people, but her illusions would work here just as well.
A hand rose, making arcane shapes in the air as her fingers bent in unnatural ways. The man thrashed more painfully as he felt the threat oncoming; a sense of tension and danger in the air made him sit up, looking around with wide eyes as he seemed to come to in the familiar darkness of Lok. Issan made sure to keep her and her sisters concealed, eager to lure this man away from those he had bedded down near. Better to lessen the bloodshed for now, until their coven was stronger in its ways.
The man looked around, confused, then jumped back. He held an arm up as though he were defending himself, scuttling backward on his remaining arm and legs. Pushing himself up, he turned, moving away from whatever was assailing him, and ran toward the three witches as they watched the scene play out. Stumbling steps had him nearly falling three times, but either through practice or luck, he always managed to catch himself. He disappeared around a corner, near an alley they had passed.
Issan nodded in the man's direction. "He'll find that exit closed to him; we should follow."
Madalena moved quickly and near silently forward, following the man with a singular focus. She turned the corner and found him there, shivering in fear and swinging wildly into the air. He might have been crying. For a second, Madalena felt a tug of pity; she crushed the feeling into dust and turned back to Issan for a cue.
Dee's eyes remained on the man. The illusion Issan had cast consumed him utterly: she felt his certainty in every motion of his arms, his terror in the trembling curve of his spine. Dee kept close to the wall as she watched him struggle against unseen attackers.
"We should end this," she said. The coldness in her voice chilled even Dee herself. But the longer she watched this man, the longer she stayed in the desolate stew of hopelessness that was his home, the more certain she was of her task. A life for a life, she told herself. One mercy to enact another. She looked to Issan, her hand already resting on the hilt of the blade at her side.
Issan glanced from where Dee's hand rested to her face. "By all means, sister, if you feel so inclined." She had worried before this, thinking she would need to coax them more; but it warmed her, strangely so, that both Madelena and Dee were nearly eager to complete this task.
She raised both hands this time, drawing more complex gestures in the air. A green outline appeared about her hands, pulsing gently. Keeping her gaze fixed on the man in front of them, she spoke aloud to the two women beside her. "Quick and clean would be best; the less shock to his spirit, the easier it will be to capture it."
Dee nodded. She was grateful she had brought a short blade as well as her favored sword; the dagger would make far faster and less messy work. She unsheathed the long and narrow blade, holding it close to the hilt, keeping it largely obscured by cloth and flesh. Dee cut a look to Madalena. "Hold him," she said.
Madalena reached out, her consciousness tethering to his, calming his nerves, trying to soothe his nightmarish visions. She tensed his muscles, freezing him in place.
Dee strode quickly up to him, the dagger sliding down her hand. She closed her eyes and pushed aside the guilt that rose in her chest. Then she buried the blade to the hilt between his ribs, twisting when she felt the tip sink into throbbing muscle. She twisted the knife. He coughed, blood bubbling on his lips and spilling down his chin, bathing her hands where they rested close to him.
Issan murmured under her breath, black-red veins rising around her eyes. The man gurgled, caught between the other two nightsisters, but still seemed to fight; his eyes rolled back in his head as his spirit tried to stay in its body. Issan's voice grew slightly in pitch, her hands rising, the green glow from her gestures casting the whole scene in a garish light. The man struggled against the bonds Madelena had placed him in, though the movement was imperceptible.
"Dee, one of the digits; the ring finger, I think," Issan suddenly interjected, as she did what she could to keep the man's spirit from fleeing completely.
She moved quickly, withdrawing the dagger as she reached for his right hand. She held it tight, her thumb pressed into his palm, and with one hand began to saw through his finger. Her stomach churned. Tears stood at the corner of her eye, but she refused to let them fall. Her resolve faltered but her hands did not. She clutched the severed finger the instant it was free, tightening her grip on it as blood made it slippery and slick. She moved away from him, bathed in his blood and subtly shaking as she sheathed her blade. An unfamiliar curse fell from her lips. She backed away until she had returned to her sisters' side, still gripping tight at her prize.
Madalena remained laser-focused on her link into the man’s brain. He was so scared. More than once his mind called out for his mother. Shh, she whispered to him, her voice pouring sing-song through his thoughts. She’s here. You’re fine. Everything is fine, you’ll see. You’ll see. She could feel his life fading, his soul pouring from his body. Slowly, she altered her hold on him to softly place his body on the ground. Sleep, sleep, she whispered. And then he was gone.
Finally back in her own mind, she realized Dee had returned to her and Issan. The blood soaking Dee’s hands didn’t seem to faze her, if it even registered to her at all. She put her hands lightly on Dee’s shoulders, leaning forward to touch her forehead to Dee’s.
Issan completed her spell, pulling the spirit toward her and closed her hands around it. There was a chance to save the spirit with a container, but Issan had not planned for such a thing; they had a receptacle, and she wished to use it before either the spirit or the finger could diminish in quality.
"Come," she whispered, drawing closer to the other women. "Form a circle; hold the finger out. We will do this now."
Dee hastened to move as she was bid. The severed digit trembled only slightly when she held it out. Blood dripped slow and thick from the ragged stump, and from the priestess's hands. She pressed close to both her sisters, grateful for the firm warmth of their shapes around her own, certain that they were all that now held her upright.
Issan pushed her hands out, bringing their clasped form toward the finger in Dee's hands. As she whispered in the arcane language she'd begun with, the digit rose into the air and began shedding its skin, like some terrible insect. Layer by layer, it removed skin and muscle as the spirit Issan had trapped forced its way into the tiny vessel.
Madalena held tightly to the sisterhood that surrounded her. She was grateful for them, especially now. For a moment, she felt herself wavering, suddenly unsure that they were doing the right thing. Part of her felt that Issan wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. Yet still, she trusted both women. But Madalena had a nagging thought that perhaps she should remain cautious.
The finger continued to shrivel, and then to bend. The bones that had previously been wrapped in the flesh that was now removed, burning up in the air, curved into a circular shape, their coloring turning from white to black in the unseen flames that seemed to help it shed its former skin. Whatever thoughts her fellow coven members had were far from Issan's mind as she was wholly focused on the task at hand. Her own fingers curled back, her hold on the spirit lessening as it was absorbed further and further into the bone.
"Focus," she whispered, hoping that all understood the task at hand. "Keep it from escaping. I feel that we are almost done."
This could not all be for nothing. Dee bent all her focus to the spellwork they raised up between them. The living Force around them bent with her, shaping the finger into the tight, blackened ring it slowly became. She picked up Issan's murmured spell and chanted with her, remembering the words so easily they seemed almost like a reflex. Power grew between them, channeled firmly into the talisman they shaped. She felt the soul withdrawing into its new vessel, filling it with a new and deeply changed strength.
Madalena cast a glance at her sisters, and channeled her energy and focus back into the spell. She, too, joined her sisters in the chanted spell, feeling its effects flow through her anew.
Feeling the flow of power from her sisters, Issan pressed the energy into the spell, forcing the spirit into the ring; it moved round in the circular shape, looking for an exit, any chance of escape, and finding none. The ring held it fast, the circle of their bodies providing another barrier, the loop of their words capturing it as finely as the fingers that held it fast. It screamed, trapped, railing against its bonds as it was encased in the object permanently.
Issan's voice rose, chanting final words, her sisters' voices echoing the syllables with her. Together, they formed a single circuit, embellishing the power into the ring and closing it forever. It fell into Dee's open palm, pulsing with heat and with life as though it were a living organ. Issan's gaze fell to it, her lips open in excitement and exultation.
"We've done it," she whispered, as though to raise her voice any higher might undo what they had accomplished.
The ring was heavy in Dee's palm, and as warm as the body from which it had originated. She moved her hand, but the ring stuck, bound by its weight and sticky, drying blood. She closed her fingers around it. When she spoke, her voice was as low as her teacher's.
"What now?"
There was worry on her face, but she dared not give it voice. She kept her closed fist outstretched, as though willing one of her coven mates to remove the burden from her.
Madalena reached forward and plucked the ring from Dee’s hand. She held it aloft, peering at it as though expecting it to be made of glass. “Amazing,” she whispered. She lowered it and held it out to Issan. “Yes,” she said, “what now?”
Issan took the ring with no small amount of reverence, removing a thin leather cord from her pocket with her other hand. She looped the cord through the ring, and tied it about her neck.
"We should return to our lodgings; there we can discuss our next steps." A small voice in her mind also offered the thought of rest, but Issan felt too elated to even consider sleeping. Putting her hands to her sister's shoulders, she smiled at them. "Be happy, sisters; we have accomplished a difficult task this night."
She turned them back toward the inn from whence they had come, her steps light.
* * *
Issan called for a bottle of wine, and had it delivered before she would speak further on the subject of their accomplishment. Once the drink was delivered, she poured glasses for herself and her sisters.
"To the coven," she said with a smile, raising her glass.
“To the coven,” Madalena echoed.
Dee raised her glass, drawing a deep breath that broke with the clinking of their glasses. Her eyes were drawn to where she knew the ring rested, though she could not see it beneath the folds of Issan's robes. Its power was still palpable, undiminished by the time between the spellwork and this moment. She felt a kind of comfort in that, and even began to hope that perhaps they had indeed succeeded.
Issan drank deep, unable to extinguish the smile on her face. She collapsed into a chair, on hand holding her glass while the other pressed fingertips into its bulbous side.
"How do you feel? After it all? It was amazing, wasn't it?"
“It was…” Madalena worked to find the right word. She finally settled on “...intense.” She took another long sip from her cup before falling back into a seat on the bed. “What happens now?”
Another sip loosened Issan's tongue further; her elation from the success of the spell combined with the alcohol made her feel that no secrets were necessary, at least not now. "I'll take the ring to who it needs to go to. You both -- I think you've earned some leisure time. I could leave you here to rest, though I know there isn't much on Lok; is there somewhere else you'd like to go? I can see you there safely for a short while until I decide what our next steps are."
Dee's lips parted on a question she wasn't certain she should ask. Naboo was a dangerous place, the site of her last terrible run-in; it was unwise to go there, but she had three solid reasons to do so that outweighed all else. She steeled herself with a bit more wine.
"I need to go to Naboo," she said. "Two refugees I know have come through, and I can't leave them there alone. They're both very worried about me." She lowered her voice and her glass simultaneously. Her eyes met Issan's. "And one of them… the mask is here."
Issan's elation tempered for a moment, her eyes shining with greed. A pink tongue traced her lips as cogs whirled in her mind.
"If you return to Naboo, Madalena should go with you. Kylo Ren has been confined to his ship, though he has not told us in so many words -- but it is clear that his own commander was displeased with his actions. I think you will be safe enough for the moment." Dee nodded in answer. Issan paused, sobering. "Who else that you know has come through?"
"A friend from my old group," she said. "Gang. Mercenary band. We got called a lot of things." She smiled, wistful and sad. "Her name is Hannah. The other, who brought the mask? Is, um." She cut a look to Madalena, her lips pursing on a somewhat embarrassing truth. "My husband. Kiah."
Madalena’s eyes brightened. “Oh my,” she joked, giving Dee a playful shove. “We must definitely go back and find him, then,” she grinned, clearly enjoying herself.
Color rose to Dee's cheeks. She hid her embarrassment behind the rim of her glass.
Issan's smile was controlled. It was clear that the thought of such a permanent tie did not sit well with her, but the mention of the mask held sway. "Yes, you certainly should go and see how he is. Hopefully the Order doesn't know about him. It would be good to get to him first, and make sure that he's safe." Ensure that this loose tie won't be a problem. She relaxed back in her chair, raising her glass to her lips.
"And you, Madelena? You're alright with this? No news of a beau or friends having come through the portal?" Issan shifted the focus, not wanting to linger overly long on Dee's news nor the potential problem it presented.
Madalena’s face fell a bit, but she recovered quickly. “None I’ve heard,” she replied. “Of course I’m alright with it. I think it could be fun,” she said, a small smile flashing across her face, there and then gone.
"I'd appreciate having you there," Dee said. "But don't get any ideas. Kiah and I have been separated for a long time. I just… want to check on him. And I need to be sure the mask is safe. That cannot get to the Order." She tried to avoid even thinking of Hannah, who would almost certainly try once more to pull her from her current commitments.
Issan nodded. "Do whatever necessary to remain undetected. A second run in with Kylo would be unlikely to end in the same scenario. As long as you two stay together, I believe you will be safe." She finished her glass, and reached for the bottle.
"Enough of this, though -- we should focus on celebrating. Our success, your husband, the mask. There is nothing but good fortune in our futures." Issan refilled her own glass, then rose to attend to her sisters'.
Dee readily accepted the wine. There would be time enough for worry; for now they had much to celebrate, indeed. She raised her glass in toast. Her smile came more easily this time, and she told herself all would be well.
Madalena echoed the toast. Suddenly she was looking forward to traveling back to Naboo; a little part of her couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps, against all odds, Gareth had somehow come through the portal. If it could happen for Dee, couldn’t it happen for her, too? She took a sip of her wine and tried not to get too optimistic.