Five members of Shadow Gate sat around the campfire, speaking in hushed tones as they waited for the Wardeness to arrive. Each had received an formal envelope containing two things. The first was an formal letter with a time and place. It was well written and explained that there was an emergency situation in the Felurigade, a hidden forest place on Selen that most had no awareness of.
The second was copious amounts of black and orange glitter. The second was copious amounts of black and orange glitter, which had exploded from the envelopes the moment they were opened, coating the recipients in metallic flecks. Each member now glinted in the flickering light, sliver and orange sparks of light dancing off them as they whispered.
“She shouldn’t even know of this place,” Timeros spoke, standing apart from the group as his eyes took in the sight of trees and the occasional glimpse of something large stalking around the group.
“Yeah, my bad,” The Consul Emeritus shrugged as he neurotically picked shiney spots off his robe - one at a time - and made a mental note to pay K’tana back for her ‘surprise’.
“Good going, Marick,” Mks piped up jovially as his handsome grin caught the firelight.
“Oh shut it, Sparkles,” Revs snapped, shaking his head.
“I don’t understand the problem, Steward. It’s not like you can see the glitter,” the Kaleesh smirked behind his mask, amused with the Miraluka’s displeasure.
“But I can *feel* them. And *you* can see ‘em. Sittin’ there, all smug and shiny.” Both Mks and Skar chuckled as Revs grumbled.
Abruptly, Timeros turned and began walking into the dark, past the light of the fire and into the forest. When he disappeared from sight only Marick continued to seem withdrawn.
“Frak, that guy gives me the creeps,” Revs said, giving his head a shake.
“How does she cope with him? My scales want to crawl off and run away when he’s around,” Skar agreed with a nod.
Marick stopped plucking the sparkles from his shoulder and looked at the three unnerved men. He sighed as he shook his head and looked back down at his glittery torso.
"I almost worry what would happen if K'tana's...energy was put towards a constructive goal," he said dryly.
|-o-|
Outside the earshot and sight of the other Gatekeepers, Timeros watched the beast approach. It moved at a slow, lumbering pace, its leathery skin scratching against the brush. As it drew near, the Elder heard a low rumbling growl before suddenly-
‘Raaawr!” A woman on the rancor’s back giggled a warcry as she leaped from atop the beast. She folded her arms to her chest, tucking her knees in mid-leap, and flipped a full rotation before landing on her feet. Her lithe arm flourished out to the side dramatically as she took a bow.
“Ta-Dah!” K’tana yelled proudly, popping up and grinning at the living statue of a man. She could feel him seething several feet away and she knew what was coming before it even hit her. Her eyes grew wide and she silently ordered May’riia to run.
As the rancor crashed through the woods, knocking over small trees as she fled, K’tana dropped to her knees. Although she was practiced with the horrific cloud of dread that shrouded Timeros, she had not yet been hit by the overwhelming power of his Terror.
*He must be really angry.*
The Mystic would have giggled had the crushing sensation not crept into her very soul. Its cold tendrils tore at the sides of her mind, forcing her to weep uncontrollably. She fought back her tears with an attempt at praying. Adrenaline pumped through her system as she embraced the fear and, with a shaking voice, she whispered: *Narsu. Frey’kaa’Olma'nabsilai’Do kei'nata’ni. Do shar’sissavia Do’shala.*
Although she stood tall, K’tana kept her head bowed, looking up towards Timeros cautiously. He moved toward her as he reigned in his stupefying aura of unease.
“Apprentice,” his cool voice took on no edge as he spoke, “your disrespect will not be tolerated. You will learn to heed these lessons.”
Cowed, K'tana nodded her head, beginning her walk back to the group. Yet the instant she was within range, the Mystic's regular self snapped back to life and she leaned forward with inhuman speed. Her lips were on the Arconae's cheek before he could so much as flinch, and she was already bolting for the campfire by the time the baffled Elder lashed out at her with his characteristic dread.
With a clipped yelp, K’tana managed to make it to the “safety” of the group. Her heart raced and breath caught in her chest as she saw the glittery Battleteam. Then she burst out laughing.
“You guys!” she laughed as she saw her Master quietly approach the perimeter of the firelight, his cold eyes locking on his Apprentice. “You all look so pretty! This is the best meeting in the history of *karkin’* ever!”
“You said this was urgent. We all have work we need to be doing and no one has time for your..”
“I have time!” Mks interrupted Marick’s dutiful speech with a gleaming smile.
“As do I,” Skar agreed with a nod of his head.
“She is, technically, our boss,” Revs scoffed.
“Exactly! And tonight, you are all ordered to join me in our first official meeting,” K’tana smiled so wide the bridge of her nose crinkled as her eyes, dark in the dim light, landed on each of the Gatekeepers in turn. They became less joyful and more pleading when they landed on the blond Human who looked as though he was readying himself to walk away at any moment.
“We will work our whole lives in the name of Arcona. For our Shadow Lady. For the sanctity of the Brotherhood. We will die bored and alone if we spend what life we have doing nothing but stuffing our noses in datapads or our blades into bodies. I, for one, know that Atyiru would not be okay with that. And neither am I. I’ve decided that once a year, my favorite people will be invited to my favored home. I will tell this year’s horrifying tale. Next year, we can pick-”
“Really?”
“What?”
“You brought us here to tell scary stories?”
“Ya’ got a *karkin’* problem with that, Rrrrrrick?!” The Mystic growled, her eyes taking on a dangerous sheen that caused no alarm to the Elders, but made Skar and Rev shift uncomfortably in their seats.
“K’tana,” The Entar started, hitting the woman with the slow, oppressive shiver of soul stunning fear.
“No, Mastimeros!” She yelled, driving her arms to her sides, her hands balled into fists and she looked more like a child than a Battleteam Leader. “Both of you will sit the *kark* down and listen to my story! I’ve done everything you Goddess forsaken males have wanted, suffered your disappointing behaviours, your absences and *chuddy* attitudes and I will be-”
“Stop throwing a tantrum and tell the *karkin’* story, ya’psycho!” Revs spat at the spazzing Twi’lek She looked at the Elders, but while Timeros seemed unamused and Marick looked as though he could walk away at any moment, both had sat down. In the haze of her fit, the cold creeping up the Twi'lek's spine had gone unnoticed. Had she been able to feel embarrassment or guilt, the sensation might well have drowned her. Fortunately, she felt a slight discomfort and nothing else.
“SO!” K’tana took a breath, regaining her calm before lifting her chin and brushing off the pique. She reached behind her and pulled her hood over her face, draping herself in shadows. She slipped a long-nailed finger into her robes, quickly pulling it back out with a flourish, and cast something into the flames. The fire erupted with flames of green and purple, sparks dancing across the air as the blaze hissed to life.
“Submitted for the approval of the inaugural meeting of the Darkity Shadow Society,” her pitch dropped and all that could be seen from behind her black cowl were two glowing green eyes, “I call this story: The Lost Children of Coruscant.”
K’tana began regaling a tale from a long time before she was born:
...there was a man who was filled with hatred and betrayal. He was driven by the ephemeral force of a primal love, afraid of losing the one person he had given his heart to. This man was lied to and twisted to a belief that was not his own. A cure for death was slipped inside his mind by those who needed to manipulate him. Sacrifice to the powers beyond us was the cost of this cure.
Now, the man knew that his enemies hid the cost and the cure at one of the Jedi temples. One being used as a school for younglings. The man knew what he had to do. One night, he snuck into the temple and slaughtered all of the children. He found out later that sacrificing the children of his oppressors was for naught. His love died and with it, his heart.
But once a year, on nights just like this...if you go to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, you can see the ghosts of small children fleeing for their lives as you walk down the halls.
As the group looked at the woman, unimpressed frowns settling on their faces, they heard a sound. A lilting giggle and something resembling the weeping sound of a child. K’tana stayed stone-faced as she watched the group nonchalantly gaze around the perimeter. She knew they cast their senses about, searching for the sound and finding a single, small form slowly approaching the group.
She remained still when all eyes locked onto the darkness and Revs stood up. Even Marick and Timeros locked eyes and nodded towards one another before moving to their feet. Skar growled into the darkness like an animal as he ignited his lightsaber. The fear that permeated the air, the adrenaline that rushed through their veins and the mob mentality of aggression did not faze the Twi’lek. Or Mks. He sat looking towards the fire with a concentrated look on his face.
When all the standing men moved a step towards the now shrieking wails of a child, K’tana and Mks quietly slipped up behind them.
“Liera! NOW!” K’tana yelled as her and Mks threw handfuls of glitter at the group. A few feet away the Kowakian Monkey-Lizard, dressed up like a small human child, wailed like a dying animal and threw a child's toy-doll at the men. When it collided with the ground it exploded in a rush of powder that covered the men.
“*Chud*! Run! MKS! RUN!” K’tana pushed the Miraluka towards the exit as she felt the furious scowls of Marick, Timeros, Revs and Skar on her. She stole a glance over her shoulder and had to stop herself from dropping to her knees in laughter. The glitter they were all completely coated in sparkled delicately in the firelight.