After an uneventful trek through the jungle forest that surrounded the small town, the Sith and their escorts found themselves finally reaching what could be described as near-civilization. The majority of the structures they passed seemed to be of a nomadic nature, easy to set up and take down at a moments notice, though they had been in place for quite some time at this point. They passed by them without any word from any of the aliens, led by the one who interrupted them, and trailed begrudgingly by the two bruised warriors.
They had left Schyrt and Reed with the vehicles outside of town, not trusting locals to be not overtaken by interest in the fascinating technology. The warriors were very unhappy with not taking all of their 'prisoners', but Raezyr simply removing his gloves again was enough of a threat for them to capitulate. Neither the translator or the larger fighters said a word from that point on.
They hadn't gotten much in the way of an explanation from the translator, who referred to himself as Gavnik. Still, he said he knew why they were there, and that was enough of a start for the brothers. Either this would put them on the right track already, or they would be at least get a hint of where to proceed next.
Finally, they arrived at a large open circle where the tent like homes and artisan buildings dissipated and they found instead four rather large ornate rock structures. The structures looked like something out of a history vid, with large columns of smoothed red rock bracketing giant entrances.
They were led to the largest of the four structures and stopped at the entrance. Gavrik winked at them and gestured for them to enter, though he remained rooted to his spot as did the beaten warriors.
Not even bothering to shrug at the ordeal, Trychon and Raezyr entered. The inside of the building was no less stylish, with multiple of the open entrances leading from the sides of the building to the covered courtyard they found themselves in. They passed countless of the local plants in the ceremonial garden as they headed to the far side of the room where there was a closed door that presumably lead to the rest of the building.
As they neared the other side, the stone door cracked open and a white robed female stepped through it. Her skin tone matched that of the other aliens they had encountered and passed in the town, and she had a similarly muscular build for a woman. Other than that, she looked very little like their would-be captors. Her skin was smooth and unblemished by scars or signs of labor and her robe, while loose, showed off her gentle curves. Clearly she had a pampered life, possibly spent entirely in the safety of the stone buildings. When she smiled as they approached, her teeth were naturally straight and unstained, in stark contrast to the sharp edged broken lines of the others they'd seen.
She beckoned them through the doorway, and it was clear that she must have led a very privileged life indeed. The room was a bit smaller than the Grand Hallway they'd just past through, but impossibly, it was even more lush. Instead of the large trees and brush that dominated the outer part of the building, there were a number of different fruit bearing plants, which all looked delicious. There was even a few colorful birds flying about and sharing songs amongst themselves and small four legged creatures that also somehow looked delicious.
They were led to a set of benches on the outside of a ten meter circle, opposite of a large cushioned rock chair, which was clearly as close to a throne as could be expected in such a place.
They sat on their benches, staring at their surroundings as the maiden smiled at them and headed off to the side where she joined a few others who looked as they had also been raised in posh captivity. After a few minutes with the only sounds coming from the domesticated wildlife, the brothers felt a very faint beckoning call in the Force. They would have debated how to respond to it if two of the females hadn't dashed gracefully past them with a long, flowing robe.
They stopped at the edge of a long freshwater pool, and waited. In moments, another alien slowly emerged from underneath the water. They hadn't even noticed the man before, but he walked slowly up the steps from the pool, completely ignoring them for the moment. He was clearly an elder, given that the massive wrinkles covering his entire nudity were too much to be caused by moisture alone. He stopped at the edge and allowed the maidens to cover him in his robe before kissing him on the neck and bowing before dancing to the side of the room again.
The man walked slowly to the large throne they faced, grumbling in his alien tongue to himself. Clearly, this was the native they were brought here to speak with, though they wished they still had the company of the translator, rough as his basic had been.
The elder reached for a fruit that was beyond his arm span, and another maiden appeared to grab it and hand it to him. He took a bite and smiled as the juices flowed down his chin. "So... you have come for the Meisos Crystals."
Trychon nearly jumped when he spoke, as both he and his brother were surprised, whether they should have expected the man to speak basic or not.
"Yes, I believe we are... how could you know that?"
"Over the years, many travelers have supposedly come for one of the Crystals. I have never seen them, but I have heard the stories since childhood. Travelers from beyond the world coming for one of our precious Crystals. The travelers had a deep furrow in the Weave, as you do. The stories claim that none of the Travelers ever managed to leave with one, and this is how they became protected by tribe elders. It is also why the we chose this language as our language of elders, so that it is not forgotten should more come."
Raezyr nodded. "It sounds like that is exactly what we are here for. We are indeed strong in the Force, what I believe you referred to as the Weave. Could you tell us why they are so sought after? We don't exactly know ourselves."
Trychon gave him a brief nudge, as though he was saying too much.
"There have been many thoughts on the matter over the years, though none have any more proof than the children's stories that we have all known. It is said that the crystals are not just what help us to hear of the Weave. That perhaps they came from the sky and actually brought the Weave into existence at the birth of our world. Their odd shape makes them seem as but shards of something much larger and even more grand, and it is said that the giant spidacs that predated our forefathers bashed the crystals from their original form because the powers they could give us were too much for our ancestors to handle responsibly. It's legend that by combining them, one could claim a space among the gods."
"Right." Trychon nodded, doubtful but understanding. "That sounds like exactly the sort of thing we'd be sent for."
"Yet, it doesn't sound as though it has worked out so well in the past. You seem to welcome us though." Raezyr shook his head at the old man.
"You are in luck. I am an old man and could use a favor. I have managed to gather a few extra crystals for myself, hoping to avoid the bloodshed that was involved in thwarting previous would be pillagers of lore."
Raezyr saw this statement gathered a nasty look from one of the women, though it was gone in an instant. It made him wonder if the maidens also spoke the language of the elders, or if she was reacting to something else.
"So you just need a favor? Pardon my skepticism, but that sounds too good to be true, and that usually means it is."
The old man cracked a smile and chuckled a bit. "You're wise for your youth. Surely you know that the value in a favor lies in what the value to the recipient is. I have, in my time, gathered more than my fair share of prestige and power amongst the elders of this land. I'd like it to last as long as possible. However, there is a meeting taking place in which those who looked to take that from me would salivate if they saw my frail condition."
There was a pause, as they waited for more detail.
"By sending powerful emissaries in my stead... my power becomes obvious, and none would try to overtake my position here."
They waited again for more detail. The old man seemed jovial, but he either wasn't very forthright with information, or in his old age he figured it really was so simple they had all the information they needed.
"So, you see... I gain potentially years of continued happiness, which is a rare gift indeed... and you obtain what no outsider has ever managed to procure. Neither of us has to endure bloodshed! It seems more than fair to me."
Trychon nodded. "Yes... we agree to the terms, provided you tell us a bit more of this exchange so we're not going in as blind as a Kothlis nightwing."
"Bah. You'll be fine! It's really very simple and routine. Happens every few years. Gavrik can fill you in. It's time for me to get my midday nap."
With that, the elder waved them off and two mistresses came to help him from his chair and off to a room in the side, where the rest of the women joined them.
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