Ossus

[Tobias Vos]

A holoprojector message came through for Kirlocca on the channel that he sent out the message to Adenna- to be viewed at the Jedi Master's prerogative.

 

 

It showed the common room of a very small ship. Stepping from the side- in full color- a tall, slender yet sturdy, blue skinned alien stepped into the projection recording area. With a sharp turn- he looked to the recorder. His red eyes vibrant even with being recorded and transferred halfway across the known galaxy.

 

"Master Kirlocca." The Chiss bowed his head, his tone was respectful, the bow to compliment the Wookiee's rank. "My name is Lord Peregrine. I am recording this message on behest of... Tobias Vos." The hesitation reflected he was not used to speaking the name aloud- and with good reason. "I have taught for years inside the Jedi Order- floating from temple to temple. Until recently, I was detailed to the Galactic Alliance Senate. You will find my records within the Archives, should you require proof of who I am. Vos received notice of your message from Jedi Master Adenna Alluyen. The two are traveling together, and are quite safe and secure. I have been instructed to convey my Master's wishes- I have not received instruction from Master Adenna. Vos is humbled you made the request of him as well, and thanks you for the consideration. Therefor- Master Illioni and Master Roene."

 

"As a Jedi Master as well, myself and many of my peers would also echo the nomination of Master Roene, and I would suggest Master Organa as well. If my nomination is not warranted, so be it. Drones are not key members, but we are there and a factor long overlooked. You and I will be meeting in person, I will be traveling to Ossus in order to... be privy to the restarting to the Ossus enclave, to be at the disposal of the Counsel, and Vos's stand-in until they return. There are... depths to what we are doing and whomever is the new Grandmaster, they will need to be brought up to speed."

 

A datapad floated from outside the recorder's angle- and into the blue hand. A tiny demonstration that he was in fact- Jedi or at least a force user. Another demonstration that he was not an impostor- but the Chiss and the Wookiee have met before...ages ago... He secretly was hoping the wookiee would not remember him. Little consequence if Kirlocca did, would just tear the illusion they- the Peregrines and Shepards- had to protect and uphold.

 

"I look forward to seeing you soon-" something came from somewhere off screen- stealing the Chiss's attention and looked back- a smirk on his face as he glanced back to the recorder. "-my guest is awake. May the Force be with you." A bow from the Chiss and the recording ended, but also shared the Peregrine's frequency as well as Vos's.

 

[Tobias Vos]

As soon as Sandy had taken over the controls to take them to Ossus, Vos retreated to his room aboard the shuttle. There- he had collapsed onto his bed and passed out. Dreaming of Adenna and ten other places he would rather be he spent the entire time in dream land. Only waking up for the tone that they pulled out of hyperspace did he open his eyes.

 

A touch of anxiety fell upon him as he made his way to the cockpit. A bit odd now that the PIT Droids were back at Catnip. Finding the ship in capable hands, Vos took a seat in the Co-Pilot's chair, but did not touch the controls as Sandy set the autopilot, instead he sent a message to his Blue Friend for an update. Mostly, he just laid back in his seat and watched as the ship approached the planet. Making sure to double up on his mental barriers, as well as collapse his presence in the Force- like cloaking almost.

 

"How did I do master?" Sandy questioned.

 

The edges of Vos's lips curled upward slightly- "You preformed perfectly, Sandy. Have you scanned the area - or picked up any communication traffic offering any clues to where Kirlocca would be? If not-" Vos opened his left eye, swiping his finger on the datapad. "Here is the comm freq-..." He paused, opening both eyes and sitting forward a bit. "Actually... Reach out... what do you feel? Do you feel the life on the planet? Our Wookiee friend? Any other Jedi? Take your time, reach out, then tell me what you feel."

 

He rotated his head to see Sandy better, and waited to see what she could feel.

[Tobias Vos]

Even though he had 'turned off' his connection to the Force moments after coming out of hyperspace, he knew the other two out of the three Jedi worth noting did feel his prescience in the Force. Slightly irritated at himself and the other two- why were they attuned to the space above Ossus? Even Kirlocca sent out a welcoming invitation through the Force. Tobias didn't feel it, as previously stated he had shut off the Force connection he had, but he was still able to see the influence in the Force to him. It was more like watching the Aurora Borealis back on Kiffar- him on the ground looking up to see the shifting light move around while he sat there- untouched and unmoved from it. Ignoring that wave, Vos read Sandy's body language.

 

"Let's not go down just yet...." he said softly, not wanting to interrupt her connection to the Force and what she was feeling. He did feel the same wave that she undoubtedly did, but he kept his focus on the here and now. "What do you feel? Can you sense the life on the planet? The difference between the plant life and sentient life? Nice and easy now, you've got all the time you need to focus on what your senses are telling you."

 

Something wasn't quite right, he could feel it throughout his body. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though. He wanted to call in the corvettes to make sure he had ample back up- for a number of reasons that flashed through his mind before he could sift them out.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos leveled his eyes at his apprentice. Narrowing his eyes to cut out what he didn't see- he was trying to read her better- her body language. Slowly tilting his head to the side as if to hear her from different angles- the angle was not sharp in any means, but it was still there- the angle shifting. A moment passed after she had finished her explanation before he spoke with a lop sided smile.

 

"There isn't a right of wrong answer, Sandy. What you felt and how you described it was just that- how you felt the animals and plants." He smiled more broadly across his face. Leaning back into the co-pilot's chair he held his hands out with the palms up. "I feel the life slightly different than as you described. I interpret it slightly different, I suppose is a better way to phrase it. But then again, we are different species- I am Kiffar, you are human. I'm sure even a Quarren, Wookiee, or even a Cathar would interpret the signatures differently as well. Your Fosh friend? I imagine she could speak volumes about how she feels about life in general. Maybe, you should ask Kirlocca when we meet him. The bottom line is- you did feel the difference between the two. Good Job, Sandy. You've paid attention to a lot of what Adenna taught you I'm seeing. Do you have any questions?"

 

He returned his hands to his lap and interlaced them. No fumbling with a datapad, he had no other pressing issues and wanted attention on Sandy. With that last bit- he was hoping she would open up about what was troubling her. He promised not to press her for details, but was worried that she would never divulge what kept playing at the back of her mind. Maybe if he spilled his bit out- what was nagging him, she would follow suit. A part of him wanted her to jump over that hurdle.

 

All in due time... He thought.

[Tobias Vos]

Another smile came across his face- if only Sandy knew how far down the rabbit hole he could go into the Force. Or how far down he had already been. Shifting his hips to sit back now, he rubbed his fingers against one another- gently feeling the knuckle wrinkles, the scars, the few slivers of hair that sprouted between the joints. "Oh, Sandy. One of these days I will show you what I feel within the Force. But to sum it up- yes, all the time. Just recently with DuVos back at the station, to things... I hope you never have to see. My skills lie with tracking- tracking anything almost. I can search the stars for someone if I know their signature in the Force, unless they are hiding, then that's another story. Continue, please." He responded before going further. Then there is was- that bit that she had been holding back. Replaying the words over in his mind, he was very cautious as he spoke.

 

"It is good that you tell me these things, so I can try to help you. But tell me, do you recognize it? Do you ever talk back to this voice? It is good that it scares you- I have my own demons that keep me in check. Catches me off guard sometimes. Perhaps you have some unfinished business on Thalassia? Maybe we should go there and see if we can get the voice to stop? Think on it- let me know if you want to go there, and we will." He moved to get up after they touched down- the conversation wasn't over, it was time to take it on the road- so to speak. Walk and talk, get the blood pumping so that it took more oxygen to the brain at a faster rate. Think faster. He made a motion with his head that meant for her to come with. Xae-Lin was an exorcist, maybe she could help Sandy as well. That thought twisted his stomach for another reason, unsure why. Maybe he was here to answer Sandy's questions- and perhaps ask Kirlocca his own questions. Sandy was a bright young girl, but she had her own troubles to worry about. Tobias had his own- and Dahar was now gone.

 

Idly waiting for the boarding ramp to lower, he pulled up a datapad and began to look through some sort of listing of top trending animals that were somewhat domesticated- or could be. It wasn't long before he chuckled at some of these names- and sent the listing to Sandy for kicks, and to see if she would want to pair with an animal, like he had with Sooba. It would be good for her mental health in the long run- and Sooba did come in handy on more than one occasion... Part of him reminisced about the beast and how it reacted to meeting Adenna and Sandy for the first time. That was his best guess to help her, but he would peruse other avenues of treatment for her- a conversation for himself and Kirlocca.

 

As the ramp lowered, he reflected that he wasn't scared or nervous as he thought he was earlier. He had been running through the Jedi calming techniques, and that apparently had worked- or maybe the Force was speaking to him. This endevour was one he did not wish to have, and knew the Force wasn't demanding he was here- this was a preemptive measure to clear the air, and see if the bridge was burnt and falling. His mood told him this was an opportunity, and Tobias was determined to make it such an event. For himself and for his apprentice. When Sandy reached the top of the ramp- he motioned for her to take the lead. Implying she knew the way as she was connected with the Force, and Vos was not currently. As the two descended- Vos spoke aloud- and it sounded like a thought he was just vocalizing. "I do ask you to do a lot of thinking, don't I? Maybe sometime we should just turn off our minds and turn on our lightsabers and use that as a form of active meditation..."

[Tobias Vos]

His hands clasped behind his back, Tobias moved his thumb around and around the palm of his opposite hand. His gloves- freshly cleaned and tucked into his jacket pocket. The new clothes were neatly kept- obviously new and not of the Jedi Traditional garb. This was more of the business class, and maybe somewhat of a scoundrel durability influence. Reinforced elbows on the blue-gray jacket, a bit of thickness to the jacket, and over his shoulder- a well traveled, but not trashy- satchel bag. His dark blonde hair had been pulled back, still not long enough to put in a knot. A shaven beard with specks of grey in it. His tan skin creased around his lips as they spun up into a smile. He bow respectfully to Kirlocca, but did not address him yet.

 

There wasn't the hesitation there like before- the way Vos had kept his distance in the past. On Gala, and then again traveling to Tython. Tobias stood there with confidence, an unmistakable aura around him that he was comfortable here, even cut off from the Force per his choice. Repeating the Jedi Calming Techniques behind his mental barriers, his blood pressure, pulse, and breathing did not change. The trio of physical conditions weren't going to come into play yet, Vos chose to come here and face Kirlocca. Last time, he had the privilege of attending to other things- people averting his attention. Here, it would be just him and the wookiee in just a moment.

 

Steadily, after Sandy's introduction, and his own bow Vos spoke- "Thank you, Sandy. Would you like to ask Master Kirlocca's own interpretation of how he views life through the Force?" His voice was soft, careful not to maneuver Sandy into something she didn't want to do. A whisper not to hide- but also not to call out. His tone and the way his body language reinforced that the choice was hers, he would not force her to ask or put her in an awkward situation. If she was embarrassed, but curious Vos would ask Kirlocca how he viewed the life of this planet- the difference between the sentient beings and the local flora around the planet. Buck up, buttercup. he thought behind the mental barriers. He silently hoped she would ask the Wookiee Jedi, even he was curious Vos had to admit to himself.

[Tobias Vos]

So Kirlocca just went for it, Tobias could dig it. Even Kirlocca's view point was another variation that Vos could relate to. A small smile came across his lips, as he looked down to Sandy. Reaching out to his hand on Sandy's shoulder, he looked to her, then Kirlocca.

 

"Yes it has, and yes I am lucky. Ms. Sarna is a fine teacher." The tone of those words were that of assurance, and respect. With Sandy coming into his life and under his own responsibility, even their short time together- he had learned a few things from her. Although the training was more Tobias to Sandy, learning was always a two-way lane.

 

Looking her up and down one more time, Vos reopened himself to the Force. Patting her shoulder, he nodded, then let his hand fall back into one another. He felt the construction and the whirl of life all around him as he looked around, not wanting to steer the conversation away from the topic- if Sandy wanted to ask a few questions of her own.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos looked down on Sandy, a small, but still approving, smile on his face. Sighing, his eyes examined her and with a nod he looked over to Kirlocca. "Right! Well, then, shall we begin?" With a lofty tone to his words. A deep breath, and he cleared his throat with an ah-hem.

 

Vos repeated the mantra 'I want bantha, I want chicken, meow mix, meow mix- I want ANSWERS' All nice and still lofty, but a bit of a hammer blow at the end- kind of tone.

 

"What happened between you and Dahar?" Vos didn't move. He wanted to know if Kirlocca manifested the issues his friend displayed. His body language shifted- a bit defensive.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos watched Kirlocca turn and start to walk into the temple. He did not follow right away. Standing there, contemplating what he should do- and if his choices would in any way hurt Sandy and her own well-being.

 

Blast it to frag, Adenna, where are you? I need you here. Vos thought. With his previous associations, this was the part where he was stabbed in the back. With the Jedi- it was something else.

 

Clearing his throat and readjusting his pack, he followed behind Kirlocca. "That's not quite how it went down, you know... where did you speak with him? Can you take me to where you had that conversation?"

 

Vos stayed behind the wookiee a ways, but still enough to have some warning if this was a trap. Also- just inside where they would easily converse with one another. Tobias was not going to accept any other destination than to where the two Jedi Masters spoke. He'd get down to the bottom of this, of that he was sure. The fingers of Vos's left hand played across his lightsaber inside his bag, ready. Kirlocca's own question would be answered once Tobias was sure they were safe here. Dahar said Kirlocca tried to kill him, but now Kirlocca said Dahar walked away. Vos knew that wasn't the case, and he was determined to find out exactly what happened. Suspicion and curiosity were primarily on his mind, but there was only one way to settle the matter.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos pursed his lips, he was caught at an impass. What to do...

 

On one hand, he was second guessing the newly appointed Grandmaster. On the other hand, his friend had accused the Grandmaster of trying to kill him. Bringing up his left hand, his fingers rubbed against one another. Closing his eyes for a moment he examined the scene. Kirlocca called it correctly, Vos did want to use his psychometry. The wookiee also was treating this as a personal insult against him, and perhaps that point did come across incorrectly. As the Force spoke to him, he opened his eyes and followed to where the wookiee was pointing. Several seconds went by as his eyes examined the scene. With a touch of reluctance, he chose to believe the Jedi Master.

 

Taking a deep breath in- he refocused on Sandy. "Sandy, I was going to ask you for your own assessment of the situation, but I am going to put my faith and trust to our Grandmaster, now. I overstepped my boundaries here. My past taught me to make sure of things for myself, but now... I will listen to everything around us, and cross it with how Dahar was a while ago. There is no malice on Kirlocca's part, and the Force wants me to trust him. So, I will. The lesson that I am learning right now is- trust in those who are worthy of your trust- including the Force. Listen to your past- but when a situation like this comes about you must take a step back, and view the situation fully. Know when you are at error, and apologize if need be. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of respect and understanding."

 

Turning his head to Kirlocca- "I apologize, Master Kirlocca. As you heard, my past influences my habits and decisions sometimes. And when Dahar accused you of attempting to murder him- well, you understand my reservation- I have always been an outsider. It seems as though this is a giant rogue wave coming over the Era of Grandmaster Dahar, and pieces have to be put back into place. I think for myself, I will not follow anyone blindly. I meant no offence."

 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Vos let out a sigh. The Jedi calming routine going through his mind again. He looked back up to Kirlocca- "Dahar never took me as an apprentice. Much of what I learned was from Adenna and Sandy, here. Dahar, actually, tried to kill me upon me meeting him for the first time. Xae actually protected me from the attack, hehe. Dahar and I have had a... interesting friendship, and I morn his decisions and actions to a point." Vos motioned for the group to walk again, letting Kirlocca lead and walking to the wookiees side, his eyes looked over to the room where the two had their discussion, and then back to the wookiee and the hallway- putting the room out of his mind for the moment.

 

"The last time I met someone out of the blue on Gala, they tried to kill me outright- Dahar, actually. I have come back recently, and was still exploring the limits to this physical body." He held out his left hand, turning it over and examining it. The creases of his skin, the way his muscles moved in his hand as well as the tendons. "I held no weapon, and my limits had just been tested against the monolith. In close proximity, you would have easily overpowered me and if you wished it- killed me. Not saying you would have, it's just... as I mentioned how I met Dahar..." Vos chuckled a bit and his lips cracked into a smile. Vos held no anger towards that memory, and if his face was any hint- his force signature would ripple along with the sentiment. Suggesting Vos found that whole situation humorous.

 

"I cannot be taken away, not before my work is done. As the Jedi are directly affected by my actions, and the Order is bolstered by what ground work I have already started- you are the Grandmaster, and I will answer your questions if you would like to get started."

[Tobias Vos]

Vos watched as Kirlocca crushed Dahar’s datapad. One that he personally modified and had given to the former Grandmaster to communicate with each other- but what Dahar did on top of that- grandmasterly doings and all that, Vos was unaware. Irritation that one of his creations was destroyed so outright- a perfectly good datapad, gone! But so be it, trivial, time to move along.

 

“While that datapad was one of mine, Dahar had no real time with it and I would gather it held no such secrets- damning the Order. It would have possibly polished the dark spots out, shedding light on certain situations. And, one of my personally modified functioning pads. ” Gritting his teeth on that last bit- he worked hard to modify it for performance enhancements. Brushing off that fact, he reached out- the fragments of the datapad drifted through the air towards him- collecting them into a small bag into his satchel. He would find out what had happened Between Tython and here. He looked to Kirlocca, a look of ‘I know you know what I am going to do with these.’ Displayed on his face.

 

But, he was now to carry out Dahar’s mission. Still. Fan-freaking-tastic. Throw out a vague statement, and cover it with secrets, as if a spiders web. Pull a string- and the whole web is affected. They had destroyed half the web- but Kirlocca just told Vos to rebuilt it- and see what happens. To make matters worse- Kirlocca just denounced the actions of his Peregrine Agents. That hurt. The agents he had- Tut, Tom, Sarah, as well as the others around- most of them put their faith and trust into Tobias, but now their actions were going to be denounced from the Order as whole. He would make it known to them- his agents- that if they did not want to become an outsider to the Order, he would let them go back. Vos kept his mouth shut at the rest, silently cycling it through his head. ‘I am a Jedi.’ The thought felt like he drank spoiled milk. He was to operate in secret, once again. But at this point, he was left to his own devices- no oversight it seemed. He was still getting used to the idea, it was never his intention, but so be it- this was his path...

 

A look of Nodus Tollens was visible on the Kiffar’s face- and felt through the Force. Was he to go through life forever with being swept into the shadows? His thoughts were being scattered to the winds- as well as his short-term purpose. This wasn't what he pictured when he came back, and he was starting to feel- lost. It was maddening, and depressing all at the same time. He was forced into a situation and his role kept getting turned over and over.Altschmerz touching his mind- a realization of what was- and what is. If he was sentenced to the shadows- so be it. He would not make Sandy follow him to the metaphorical darkness. Was he doomed to shadows forever? Was that best?

 

Letting his gaze drift upwards to the ceiling and then back down, Kirlocca gave Tobias an exit- if he wished. Letting the wookiee get close- an achievement that would have been impossible in their previous encounters- was a sign that Tobias was now confident- not overly- and comfortable within the Order, even though he felt as though he were an outsider. Quite possibly, forever feeling such a way.

Tobias opened his mouth to speak- closed it- opened it again- “Do you really not want to know what I am doing? Do you really not want to know the role I’ve played? You want me to continue to augment the Jedi Order with my actions- and not wanting to know what they were to achieve?!” The questions were all rhetorical- his voice was steady- but passionate.

 

“Do you even know who I am? What I can do? And you’re just going to give me free range to do as I please? Kirlocca, I must object. Without Adenna to guide me, I am quite… lost. I have tasks to be completed- but to what end? By what means can I accomplish those tasks? What if I order my people to do something- but come to find out another part of the Order wishes something different… or opposition to my agents? I have certain… obligations that might seem counter-intuitive to the Order’s goal. Again, more rhetorical questions. He made a hand gesture as if he was waving off all those questions with frustration. He was a whirlwind of emotions, but they were all under control- and nothing permanently striking to his signature.

 

Resigning with a groan- he put his gloves on- and pulled out a datapad- forcing it on Kirlocca. ”Now, to be intimately clear here- and Sandy as witness- This datapad shows how my actions have augmented the Order- through asset acquisitions, communication and credit lines that are filtered through… *ahem* myself. There are speadsheets in there that show what the state of affairs was before I came up to the current day. A rags to riches story, to be sure. That information is public knowledge- well, Public Jedi knowledge. If you so choose to denounce the Peregrine Project without knowing what it was to accomplish-“ Vos shook his head back and forth. “- then, I will have to rearrange several projects. You would call attention to it that I do not wish- or need. Furthermore- I do not wish to see my people cut down by yours- or vice versa- over miscommunications.”

 

“But… I concede defeat on this. I hear, and obey the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. I am Tobias Vos, Lord Peregrine, Darth Telvanni. I am a Seeker of Knowledge- ordained by the Noble Lord Sabatin, Overseer of the Western Front. Hand of the High Council of Seekers, a Student of the Force, and Warrior of the Jedi Order. I am an instrument of the Force. Former Hand of the Grandmaster Dahar, now appointed Jedi Shadow… and accept the burden you set for me.” The tone held an aura that it was an almost automatic response and acceptance of his supervisor’s orders, something he must have recited a hundred times. Most of that would be lost on Kirlocca's and Sandy's ears anyways. His head hung there for a moment, wishing he had some big animal to mount and fly away on. It was odd to hear his titles recited aloud. He could not- would not- disappoint Adenna, Dahar, Sabatin, and The High Council of Knowledge. “I will not speak of my plans to you for the grand plan, but there are pieces we should communicate to each other.” There was such resignation and defeat in the words. He would have to over-see himself and what was permissible- was his factory going to face backlash? Was Kirlocca really unknowing of anything on what Dahar had said for Vos to do? Dahar would laugh if he saw what was happening right now. Or lash out...

There were obvious meanings behind everything that Vos had said- layers to the words- but it seemed as though Kirlocca was about to dismiss him, and their conversation was closing to its end. Both had work to do- and not enough time to talk and be about their business.

“Dahar had asked me to attend to the Imperial Remnant subject- a meeting with the leader of their faction- Raven Zinthos? And see what they wanted and such. But judging from the reports from Carida, it seems we already have. I was going to head there next to help with relief efforts, if need be, and have that conversation. If you had already dealt with it, I won’t bother with a meeting, just assistance as they need. As well as a meeting with someone from the G.A. If you want me to shy away from the diplomatic duties, I will…?” Vos figured they were about done here anyways, but a few more last details needed to be settled.

 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no fear, there is power.

I am the heart of the Force.

I am the revealing fire of light.

I am the mystery of darkness.

In balance with chaos and harmony,

Immortal in the Force.

 

The words of his oath played over and over in his mind, to try to keep him on track.

 

Carida, Thalassi, then Corusant... if it all panned out. Tom was summoning him to Gala, but that would have to wait- or scrubbed all together. This path was starting to have the appearance of another Lord Hoth or a Raven-esque adventure blossoming around it.

[Tobias Vos]

"I will meditate on the role you're appointing me, and you make a good point on the image factor I have been making strides for the Order into a better view for the galaxy. For the good of the Order. But if I could make a suggestion- make no more mention of Lord Peregrine... just dismiss it as a rumor, or dismiss any talk of them. That would prevent other parts of the Order from pursuing the name and what it is connected to, while also allowing me to transition the project to..." Tobias let his head bob from left to right- eyes afixed as if searching the ceiling for the right words. "...mmmm...to other... less public, or known avenues. I will dispense with the name after everything has been switched over- no more than a month I think. If you can give me a month, I would appreciate it. And actually, now that I am thinking about it...I would like to travel to Carida as well, I need to discuss with Head of State Raven. There's more I would ask of you, but... time is of the essence I gather... Would you mind if we flew in convoy to Carida? If Sandy is all set, we can leave whenever."

 

His gaze was still out- and around the room- but he could still see the black figure- watching Tobias.

Sabatin? Slicer?

He kept his attention on the discussion with the Grandmaster, but kept the figure in the corner of his eyes.

[Tobias Vos]

Silently, Vos inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Should you need us, I've left you our commlink encrypts, as well as other means to get ahold of us. We'll depart shortly. If you need supplies or any logistical support, here or elsewhere, let me know and I will procure what you need." Turning and walking back to the ship, he silently doubted the Grandmaster understood the scope of what Vos was given charge of. Either way, Vos was aiming to do right by them- the Jedi. Two Grandmasters have given him the title of Master, and Council Member- did was he, Tobias, giving himself the credit he deserved or earned? Best not to disappoint either of them, or the credit.

 

Pausing to look at the room Dahar and Kirlocca spoke in, he made sure to let his eyes linger over the empty room. His own intentions were to walk in there and examine it- but the Force was calling to him. By the time they got back to their ship a 3PO droid was at the ship waiting for them. While on the way back Vos did procure four training sabers from the cache here. The droid handed over the bag containing the hilts and scuttled down another hallway. "Sandy, if you are all set here, you can take us up when the ship is ready." Vos winked, he was letting her get quite a bit of piloting in, the combat piloting was fast approaching the top of his "To-Do" list to see how Sandy handled it.

[Tobias Vos]

Relief craft descended upon the Ossus Jedi Facility- broadcasting the proper clearance codes- and adhering to all Space Traffic Control directions. The small support craft fleet unloaded the wounded- and then as they were a merchant fleet- left, they were just responding to the distress signal that was small and weak, they didn't even know that these crewers were Jedi Staff.

 

Forty people were transported to the medical wing- with a dozen going to the Bacta Tanks. The pre-warning message was transmitted by Jedi Master Tobias Vos, and he had requested to be kept in the loop about those that were injured. Engineers- and other support staff from an unknown origin.

[Tobias Vos]

While the crew wasn't Jedi- they were versed in how to block the probing of Jedi. After their wounds were treated- it was a time of resting and relaxing, but since their contracts were written off- they were not going to get paid. And when you have people in it for the money, they grow frustrated at being kidnapped and held hostage- and not collecting any sort of compensation. A few tried to even send their own messages off world- asking for any sort of government involvement. Overtime their cooperation would be tested- and they would grow more anxious to break out of quarantine when nothing was wrong with them. Save for the ones in the bacta tanks, they were still blissfully unaware of their surroundings.

 

In time, Vos would reply with "Further clarification is unavailable at this time. Crewers have done nothing wrong and are no longer on the Jedi Payroll, release them- or start to pay them to play nicely."

[Tobias Vos]

"Paranoia doesn't suit you, Jedi Master." was all Vos had replied with.

 

Then as the crewers were released- several conversations about new jobs could be heard and how naive the Jedi were- giving them three months pay and 'a letter of recommendation.'

 

"You know what I did for a week straight?" the man was obviously a mechanic, and red in his face with his roaring laughter. "A week straight- I punched in and ran maintenance reports- a brand new outpost and its completely fried...force-sensitive nerfs. Now they pay me three months in advance?! Suppose I got a scar out of it- but three months? Talk about a small fortune. I hear that ship building is picking up- shame the Jedi can't keep their fleet up and running while everyone else is building ships..."

 

His voice trailed off as that particular crew made its way to the spaceport. Several other remarks were made- all along the same lines about how ludicrous it was to get three months of pay and all were similarly mocking the letter of recommendation. Several vowed to never work for the Jedi again.

[Tobias Vos]

Hyperspace was always boring, no matter what. It is true that a person or group would find some thrill shooting planet to planet light years away from each other in just a few hours or days, but after awhile- it got tedious. Sure, you could be jumping into a battle, or going to some big event, or even to see family. In the routine of life, it does get a little tedious after awhile and for Vos- spending that much time planet to planet was somewhat of a waste. There was meditating, drawing, and... that was it. Other than trying to avoid the PIT droids. When you've been doing nothing but travel for the last few months, even meditation was starting to wane on Tobias. Unlocking old memories- both his own and with objects he had collected over the same journey of planet to planet.

 

He was grateful that they pulled into Ossus air space without any issues. Further grateful that both the YT and Kirlocca's ship had made it. The other ship was up for grabs by any Jedi, or anyone, to use once again. Albeit, a decision for someone else other than Vos himself. For the moment it was being piloted remotely by one of the Droids. Vos secretly hoped that whichever one was in charge of that craft actually landed it, instead of crashing it.

 

The green eyes of the Kiffar scanned the orb below them as it approached them. The droids chattered but that was in the background to Tobias. He was more focused on the ripples in the Force he felt. The connection he had made over the last year was different in every way the Jedi knew. Being open minded helped, but walking the path was different. There was the yellow phase- a way he could feel Sandy, Tut, Cha'lar. Then there was the blue lense, and of course: there was Tom. So on and so forth down the line he could go. He was more focused on what the planet was going trough right now. There was a dust cloud to the south of the main city, where the Jedi were located. As data filtered through the ships screens, Vos tried to figure out if he’s seen a storm this big before.

 

Shaking his head after a conclusion, he let it be that he had never and sat to regard it. Most of the landing woccured while he was spaced out. It wasn’t until the boarding ramp hissed to a stop that he snapped out of it. Biting his left thumbnail, he got up without a word and made his way to his quarters. There he gathered the trinkets from his cabin and walked out with Adenna. He kissed her on the cheek as she drifted off to tend to her own errands. Her dark robes, the way her hair spun and caught the breeze as she started away, her glance over her shoulder as their hands drifted apart. He was foolish, he was so ga-ga over her. Tobias just stood in place, watching her walk away and her butt. It was such a typical guy thing and still found that he couldn’t look away. It wasn’t a bad view, not in the slightest.

 

He shook his head as the thoughts came back to the surface of his mind. Spinning on his heel, Tobais made his way back into the temple. Retracing his steps from the last time he was here he found he room he and Kirlocca spoke in. His stride only broke for a second and then made sure his gloves were on as he tried to hurry through the room.

 

Wearing trousers, a long sleeve workout shirt and a vest that looked as though it were more made for holstering blasters; he was an odd sight. He let the gazes wash over him. Behind his tint glasses he kept walking towards the part of the temple that masters were gathered in, whenever there were Masters here.

 

There were more people here than last visit, but finding quarters wasn’t hard. Entering the room, there was a small table as well as a bed, food prep area, refresher, and a balcony. Getting a drink that was blue with golden swirls Vos popped the cork and poured himself a glass. It was sweet with a soothing feel at the back of the throat that wasn’t too sugary nor overly burning. He took a second sip as he passed through the balcony window door and took in the air of Ossus. Placing his three datapads on the table, he put a fourth at the top and let the blue screen flood with text. A minute after that all the data loads turned on and started to cycle with updates. One did have to upgrade to the latest security the Jedi Slocers came up with. Upgrades usually took a local network planetside to download it, so he took three more sips as the text continues on the screens. The wind was blowing south, so that was a good sign that the storm was heading south: Nothing to worry about. With that, he let the moment be, enjoying where he was.

[Tobias Vos]

A sly grin crossed his lips as he read the message from the Remnant. ‘The Empress’... both good and bad signs. It was one of the other, not both. The good was that she now held power and title that her subjects would follow. The bad, potentially,was maybe the power went to her head. Probably the former. Vos typed a request to Adenna, and a different message off to the Grandmaster.

 

Characteristically the messages were short, sweet, to the point, and a dash of humor was mixed in. He didn’t reply to Raven right away. Best to see what Adenna wanted to do. If the Imps knew his history, he hoped they would know his favorite meal. That’d be the sure way to win him over in a meeting. Food and drinks, typical male. He chuckled at his own joke, then sipped his drink again.

[Tobias Vos]

He supposed there was no time like the present. Communications network was down, so that meant his message to Darex hadnt gone through. Local and incoming messages worked, but outgoing on the Holonet wouldn’t work. It was to be included in the next burst. Reviewing how the Catnip Staff was treated, he would be sure to reprimand the particular individuals involved. There were only two left in bacta, which was a fantastic thing considering.

 

Making his way back to the Spaceport he met with his Blue friend and ally. The two conversed for a few moments making sure the freighter and the ten Jedi Aces from Gala were stored and inventoried properly. They made the next phase of the plan, and departed. Then the medical wing where he visited the two injured people in the tanks. Looking at his clone, the headache intensified like a supernova in his head. He stumbled back a step- the technician that was escorting him saw it and made sure he was okay. Waving the youn apprentice off, Vos started to put distance between him and DuVos. Digging the palms of his hands into his eyes he groaned and turned down the hall: he further recovered.

 

Eventually he made sure to leave the Holocron and Kirloccas Ship Acces code behind for Jedi Skywalker. And that was about all he had to accomplish. Taking a long look around he made sure his datapds, commlinks and weapon were in his bag, then boarded the YT and had the droids spin the engine up and leave for space.

 

After walking up the ramp, he called out- “Honey, I’m home!” In a sing-songy tone to Adenna.

[Tobias Vos]

(Since everyone is involved in combat, this seemed more appropriate.)

 

Ossus Jedi Communications held messages for those out on assignment until they requested their messages delivered. Especially non-urgent messages. Vos wanted to send a message to the Grandmaster, but it was held up here. That was just the facts. The first message ran as such:

"Grandmaster, I have returned to Ossus with Master Kirlocca's ship and holocron. I have spoken with Master Kirlocca, and has suggested how to proceed. Master Tomalauin’kquintan’tus has brought back ten Jedi Aces and they have been transferred into the Temple's inventory. I will remain on Ossus for awhile, until something pops up. May the Force be with you." He was calm, collect, and the hologram was azure blue with just his head as an image. He bowed and the image cut out.

 

 

A second message was left at the same time as the first, for Master Skywalker, again the hard gaze was evident in his hologram.

"Master Skywalker, the holocron you requested has been left at the Ossus Temple inside Kirlocca's ship. The access codes are attached. You're welcome. May the Force be with you." And the hologram would fade out, a smile creasing the Kiffar's lips.

 

 

The second message was relayed to Ossus through the holonet. This one was addressed to the Council, ready for viewing by each of them.

"Grandmaster, Council members, the Imperial Remnant and Knights requested Jedi Alluyen and myself on Nar Shaddaa. Currently we are assisting them with preparations against another nest of slavers. Please advise how you wish us to proceed. Just as advisers, or active participants. Adenna and I can wait three days, after that we will be committed to the campaign. I fully recommend the Jedi Order back this campaign to liberate Kashyyyk, and additional resources would be appreciated. I have requested a few personnel to assist us, dependent on the decision you come to.. I have attached some Imperial Knight training holos as well.

 

See Exhibit

, Two, and my favorite,

. Until then, May the Force be with yinz." The hologram was shakey, but it was obvious where he bowed and signed off. This was a full color image, so one could see the warmth in his face and eyes. Perhaps even passion behind his eyes. It seemed as if he were full of life and spirit once again.

 

[Tobias Vos]

Sarah sat in front of what could be called a vanity. Her gaze was lost in the image on the mirror, her hands were absently stroking her red hair which was pulled into a braid and came down over her left shoulder. While her focus was on the mirror- it was clear that she was seeing beyond the mirror. The datapad in front of her was glowing. There was a message, one that used a encryption hardwired into the device. The Peregrine Encryption, Tobias had called it. The whole scheme she and him had been sent back to do- and the help they finagled here. It hadn't been used since Kirlocca was grandmaster. After that it had been a series of twists and turns as if you were in a speeder piloting through Coursants' Industrial Sector in an illegal race. The events had left them all with some whiplash, and for DuVos- more broken bones and burn scars.

 

After the Station had been knocked out everyone that worked on the station had to come here as evacuating wounded and their shuttles weren't made for this. The station hadn't been in any peril, and they were still breaking it in. While the workers had gone, there were still a few left on Ossus. Namely her, DuVos who had just undergone some neural reconstruction, and Captain Princess Caroline were still here. She was here for DuVos, that was her orders. They had to move forward with their own mission- her and Tobias' mission they had come back for. The Irak Glan Orb. So far they had been distracted with this realms problems and she was tired of it. But there it sat- the message on her datapad under a dead encrypt code. Someone wanted to talk about it- and she was being summoned. Technically Tobias was, but he was on Kashyyyk right now. She would have to go, and DuVos would come with.

 

The following events would go by with a blur; she got their ship ready to go, roused DuVos and ignored all his questions, she made sure everything from her quarters was with her. Her lightsaber, datapad, credits, other small trinkets. She wasn't here for tangible validation. Come back, find the artifact and return. While the ship was ready to go almost an hour after she had called down- it was sunset as they were boarding. The winds were coming in from the north and bringing the sweet smell of the forest with it. As Sarah leaned against the hydraulic lever of the boarding ramp she made sure to memorize everything about this. This was going to be one of the last sunsets she saw, and the last one on Ossus. It had been a millennia since she had seen her last decent sunset and was unaware it would be her last one- so she was making up for that right now.

 

As the sky splintered into many other colors, she sighed and began the process to lift off and head a few systems over.

[Tobias Vos]

Perfection. That was the only word he could use to describe this place; actually the only one he wanted to keep on his mind. He tried to push away words like ‘illusion’ and ‘fake’, despite the facts of the matter. The cool breeze coming from behind him, winding its way around the trees and out onto the open water. It was just cool enough to take the edge off of the twin suns radiance. Plenty of wildlife could be heard from behind him- and even a fish jumped in the lake. 

 

Tobias sat there on a larger boulder, legs stretched out before him his knees bent to support his elbows as he crossed his fingers in front of him. There was not a single care in this world for him. Part of his mind screamed at him that this was an illusion and his body was, in a sense, very much broken. He tried to keep that part of himself pushed away. If he was to heal back up he couldn’t dwell on what the current state of his body was, he needed to focus on progress. He could fool his mind into thinking  that the incident on Gala was awhile ago- and now he could sit and reflect on his actions in reflection. It was another mindgame, something he was accustomed to: double thinking. 

 

There was something peaceful here, but he was unsure of what exactly it was. Many theories swam in his mind;

 

1: Was it because this is the life he wanted to live, with Adenna? 

2: Was there something about green trees and mountain air that settled him?

3: Was this an Unconscious memory of when he was born? Before his first real memories of Tatooine and Nal Hutta, of course.

4: Did Adenna want this and he had picked up on it through their connection?

5: Did Frond or Trushaun have an influence on why he enjoyed this nature?

6: Did his Aing-Tii friend and master have a specific influence above all others?

6: Could be overthink this further, or just accept the simple answer? That he enjoyed solitude and peace.

7: Was the Force telling him that it sometimes is just a beautiful little place and it’s just that simple?

 

He sighed, figuring he better settle on the last question and answer.

 

While he still was surrounded by the forest, of oak and pine, his mind started to replay what he had done in the library on Gala. Much of it was a blur, and his mind reflexively ached at the memory. 

 

He turned his palms upwards to look at them; there were so many dark cracks that were part of what he had just done. His veins were still dark too, and while he didn’t have a mirror- he bet his eyes and veins in his head were darkened as well. 

 

The palms had so many more dark lines in them- with a flash the memory played out in his mind. While the crystals had belonged to a member of the exorcist caste, the crystals still wanted to serve in that fashion. He gave into the song it sung and did things that didn’t make sense at first, but now they did. As soon as Frond had moved behind Tobias he gripped the reins of the beasts with the Force and then crushed the lightsaber he had been holding with his bare hands. Right where the crystals were. He wouldn’t have had that much strength- that small crushing force- the crystals would have cut his hand long before they turned to powder. Something about that immediately became clear though- once the crystals had touched his bare hand they dissolved into where the hilt had already sliced into his hands. The crystal invaded his body and called out to the Force. His body was a vessel for power- and back out into the physical world. The hoarde was struck down, but the reaction within his body was almost too much.

 

Thoughts drifting off, he felt a vibration through the Force. His body was being moved. Nothing nefarious- just to the medical wing. They must have landed on Ossus. A little session in the bacta tanks would be good. Might fix him up to the point he could reset his body into a Jedi Healing Trance. Until then, there was a way he could connect with his comrades. It would be a little dangerous, but it might be best to wait until he was in bacta and had pain medication introduced into his system. 

 

~~~

 

Company was the last thing Fond needed right now, but it was what was demanded of Tobias now. It was his role as a Jedi Master.

 

The thought struck a nerve within himself. Did he really just call himself a Jedi?! Did he now really believe himself to be a Jedi?! A mild anxiety attack ran through his own mind. He couldn’t be a Jedi- his ideals and upbringing was just… not cohesively able to fit into the Jedi way…

 

That was a conundrum to conquer another time, now he had to address this. It seemed as though he was a tad too late, someone had beaten him to Frond. Maybe this was what he was meant to witness- a Jedi youngling and the living tree. Letting his doppleganger apparition walk forward and lean against a nearby tree- close, but not close enough to be too intrusive on the conversation starting off. ‘For now, I am a tree. A silent observer of the wind.’ Tobias thought, and a side reflection of that was that Frond had this poetic influence on him. At the previous thought, he chuckled, folded his arms and waited patiently.

[Tobias Vos]

Being an apparition had its advantages; he could go where physical bodies could, attach himself to someone and even enter visions with someone. There were pros and cons to doing all that though. Whether or not he wanted to, sometimes his fleeting control over his doppleganger could be swept up in stronger Force currents. Like the one he had just been swept up in right as the apprentice that preceded him touched Frond’s saber. What had resulted was not a fun ride. Darkness was rolling in just like a storm cloud, much like when Ossus reached a certain orbit around its sun which resulted in heavy fog for a few weeks each year. While still physically in the medical wing, his mind had no choice but to ‘go with the flow’. 

 

However, he was a Jedi Master- or at least an equivalent. All things were possible with the Force- and he reached out to take control of this situation. Preliminary steps had been taken before the apprentice had kicked the vision off- and now there was more of a spectacle than Tobias would have liked. It was time to nip this in the bud- start it before an avalanche of actions and movements were beyond his reach. While the realization that he shouldn’t intervene was on his mind- he knew what he needed to do. 

 

Ikky, one of the PIT droids on his ship, was there watching all of this- Frond on the ground, the moving tree twitching a little. His lightsaber a few feet away. While the PIT droid couldn’t see Vos, as he was an apparition within the Force, it heard Tobias’s order of retrieving the saber. 

 

Sandy, Aiden, Frond and the other apprentice were before Tobias, his profile giving off a radiant green glow that only the living could see. A stern expression on his face, he spoke in a cold tone. “Ikky, walk two meters to your seven o’clock.”

 

The droid obediently moved to the indicated position, holding the saber. Tobias had just done this to two crystals previously and it crippled him. Now he was about to go even further and destroy this crystal while he was still in bacta recovering. Audibly, Vos sighed with a long drawn out groan. He couldn’t destroy the crystal here, he needed to touch it. He followed up with another order. “Report to the medical wing, bring the saber to me. Then report back to the ship.”

 

The droid ran off in the direction of the temple, ignoring everything around it. 

 

The apparition pinched the bridge of its nose, and flares of orange wove into the green radiance. “How are those two?” Tobias questioned, crossing his arms. There was nothing he could do for them in this state, other than check in on them. His face displayed his annoyance and irritation. A product of the strain it was putting on him to act in this capacity. The Gala incident had purged him of his darkness, and now here he was about to do the opposite. Deep down he knew he had to try and help Frond- no matter the damage right now; A Jedi’s life is sacrifice… the old saying rang in his head.

[Tobias Vos]

Had his head not been wrapped in bandages- his face would have displayed his...displeasure and frustration at what his former apprentice had done. Both in the operating room and right here in front of him. While his eyes were bandaged over- he could see with the Force. He also felt the pressure wave- through the tank. Then, a hiss and snap, crackle, and at the end- a pop. The current swirled around him and the bacta drained away.- a crack in the glass from the pressure wave from the demented crystal. 

 

Barely recovered, Vos sank to the bottom of the tank as the bacta spilled out. Gravity and oxygen wreaked havoc on his body. The wounds he had suffered from Gala had split his skin open where his circulatory system laid under his skin. The oxygen and his nerves  in those areas met like old enemies once again. His joints and bones also met acquainted themselves with the gravity of Ossus. They too started back up on their arguments and disagreements once again. Tubes and wires connected to Tobias sagged with him- his breath mask, intravenous medications- more than a dozen wires across his bare chest also followed him to the floor. 

 

As the safety measures started to react to the loss of container integrity- the cylinder retracted, leaving Vos exposed completely and the bacta to spill out into the floor drain. His Force Aura was a torrent of rage- he was pissed. He was angry at first after the stunt Sandy just pulled- but the repercussions of her actions resulted in his entire body being saturated once again with crippling pain. Involuntarily his body started to tremble, and then began the coughing. Blood shot out in little spurts around the part of the mask covering his mouth. Wearing nothing but medical pants- with shaky hands he tried to prop himself up to at least crouch onto his knees. The pitdroid moved forward to help his master, which Tobias accepted with some reluctance. More coughing- and a groan of pain that quickly became a bellow of pain as he maneuvered. As he knelt there, being held up by his droid, his trembling hand moved to pull off the mask. The droid beat him to it and removed it with a subtle grace of his master's discomfort. The inside of the mask was wet with frothy, bright red blood. 

 

A smaller cough, and Tobias’s chest heaved with trying to calm himself. If his aura was anything to go by- he was calming down but he was still very angry. Not touched by the dark side- but still angry. He sucked in a few breaths to try and settle himself out as a red drop of blood trickled down his chin. Gritting his teeth- he looked, at least aimed his bandaged eyes to Sandy, and through his clenched teeth he grumbled slowly. 

 

“Jedi Sarna. After you have found the Eternal Vigilance- you will report back to Ossus where we will go over- in great detail your actions not only here, but previously. Grandmaster Alluyen will be informed of all this... after I am back on my feet."

 

A gasp of pain escaped his lips and he spat as his muscles tensed across his body. Inching forward about to lose balance- the droid held him up with a three digit claw on his chest where the engraving of his skin wasn’t too prominent. Bacta dripped from his hair which was pulled up into a sort of beehive atop his head, but even that was chilly. Everything hurt, he just wanted to cry and whimper inside his world of darkness. 

 

“I was going to have you and Aiden help me purify the crystal- I was going to talk to Frond in a realm where he is familiar- and there is no pain there while he was tended to. But you did not trust me, Jedi Sarna. Me- of all people. Your actions here- are just…” His voice had been rising, despite gritted teeth and an appearance of strength had risen and fallen in a flash as he finished his sentence. “... are just disappointing…”

 

Silence permeated the room as the energy drained out of Tobias as his presence flooded with sadness. He hung his head as if looking at his forearms through the bandage around his eyes. The wounds were starting to well up with blood once again. His body was still attempting to recover from the ordeal on Gala and this little incident was going to set him back quite a bit. 

 

“Ikky, go find one of the Jedi from earlier- I’m going to need… some….help......”

 

Blood started to pool around his body, turning the area around him to a little pool of red. The spasms and coughing caused the trenches in his skin to re-open ergo why he was now bleeding. In some ways, he missed his old body which already had scars on it- it was a pity this new one had been a blank canvas. The droid had run off in another direction leaving Vos to try and support himself with just his right fist against the ground. His head still hung and his nerves still lighting up his brain with pain receptors but he had to say this next part before the medics came into the bay. 

 

Taking a cautious deep breath in a few stages- “If you have what you need to find EV- then take my ship and be about it. I doubt neither Frond or myself will be in any shape to come along.” 

 

And there wasn’t any room for arguing- as more and more of the trenches in his skin started to break their membrane and let the red blood dribble out. Three medics rushed into the room- not running but quickly walking along. Grabbing him from under his arms, they manhandled him over to another pod quickly. The third medic started to pull the medical devices around and plug them into a different terminal. As soon as they sat him down, they started to wrap his body with a bandage that had a layer of pain medication that activated upon warming to a body temperature. Since Tobias was now being wrapped head to toe in the bandage- he was feeling pretty good- but that was the meds talking. There were ways a Jedi could dull pain, there were ways around even pain and bleeding that he knew- but the Force came to him in waves- and the struggle to stay conscious throughout the ordeal had taken most of his strength. So he let himself be moved like a sack of tapatoes. It was so easy to go back to the dark side and give into his anger- but Gala had changed him… and he wasn’t interested in giving into his anger. The medics talked to him, all he did was grunt a yes or no to them, and into another bacta tank he went, a new mask attached to his face, and there he floated and drifted back off to… another dream… the house by the lake under the mountains, as a childs voice called to him- and there she was in all her beauty- his wife and her dark hair, her sly smile. 

 

Then he was out- dreaming of that place.

[Tobias Vos]

"Oh what a pair are we, Jedi Knight Sarna?" Vos silently spoke into his breath mask. Through it all- she was alright. She just needed to be less...bombastic. She should see his mistakes and have learned from them,,, 

 

"Well, I have only been a Jedi for a few hours..." he thought to himself as he drifted off.

 

As he drifted off with the pain medication, the relaxing state the medics had put him into, and just exhaustion- he dozed off... to find himself on a dry world- with a giant fault in the ground. He was all alone and at the bottom of a deep ravine. Laying in a pool of his own blood- he screamed. No one could hear him here and so he let it out- the pain. Screams so vibrant that pieces of skre had started to fall. His own personal pit of pain. Here he was crippled mentally, back in his body though- that was healing at least. That would still take a bit- and until then, all he could do to cope with the pain was to scream. 

[Tobias Vos]

Two weeks of solitary confinement would be enough for anyone to go a little stir crazy- but when you’re in pain and in solitary? Well that would lead to some major madness manifesting for whomever was locked away. There was also a difference between mental and physical solitude. With all the time that had passed something inside Tobias had broken. No major revelations this time around- well, outside of coming to terms with how broken his physical body was. 

 

Being taken out of the bacta tank had reignited some pain associated with his wounds touching the air around him. As a reaction, his body started to tremble as his nerves communicated that they were not happy with being reintroduced to the air. Gritting his teeth, he tried to set up a mental pattern to block the pain. It wasn’t very effective… 

 

His strength had left him so the medics had to physically move him from a chair to a gurney for a scan of his brain- and his body. Tobias complied and tried to challenge his limbs to stay still so they could figure out what was wrong with him. That was easy- he just passed out. 

 

~~~

 

Two days later he awoke in a soft bed with restraints around his limbs and body. Multiple medical tubes were inserted into his flesh. He felt all this, as his eyes were still bandaged. It wasn’t but a few minutes before the pain returned to his mind. Muscles tensed before he could even start up the mental pattern that dulled the feelings last time around. There was no time to start the Beyond the Veil ritual- his mind became a crippled prison, he couldn’t even speak to the staff here. 

 

So here he was locked away inside his own mental prison with his flesh on fire. He didn’t dare open his mouth for fear of just screaming. Luckily, the medics continued their diligence with trying to manage his pain. Injecting him with all sorts of hypothetical remedies. It was on the third day of remedies that he finally felt some relief from the pain. It was a small victory that his restraints were removed for a little while in a gesture of letting him exercise his muscles. 

 

He was so weak that he required help from two others to make it three steps. On his fourth, he coughed through gritted teeth and blood sprayed out from around his teeth. The pain returned, with interest. As he collapsed to the ground, his lungs started to throw a fit and launched into a string of coughing. Each time air escaped his mouth- blood followed. Pressing his forehead to the floor, a glob of red liquid fell from his mouth. Hands pressed against his back as the medics tried to pick Tobias up off the floor. 

 

Frustration filled his mind, aggravation flooded his fragile veins. Clenching his jaw, he tried to stand on his own. The act failed miserably as he passed out and collapsed onto the floor. The medics tried to scoop him up but shared a look of helplessness.  

 

~~~ 

 

Another three days passed by in solitary blackness but something had changed. Along the lines somewhere, somehow he managed to keep his mind awake and within that realm there something that Tobias was previously unaware of. As he corrected his errors- he braced himself for the next round of pain when he woke up. The fourth day he woke up and immediately called upon the Force to rewire his brain to block out the whole flood of painful sensations. Well, at least change the avenue of the pain. Nothing can change without sacrifice. 

 

For the first time in weeks Vos regained consciousness and didn’t experience any major pain or aches. 

 

“Master Vos…?” A tiny voice called out to him.

 

He coughed softly as he tried to form words in his throat- “Y-y-yes?” He scratched out. 

 

“Well, you’re not trembling with pain that is a good sign.”

 

“Everything has a cost…”

 

The small voice snorted with affirmation- “Indeed. But you’re feeling better?”

 

He flexed his fists, then relaxed them. “No…”

 

“To be expected. But you’re no longer feeling pain at the moment- if I am reading your aura correctly?” 

 

Tobias could feel that the person in the room was moving to the sink and then back to his bedside after running the faucet for a moment. In a moment she instructed him to drink from a straw she held to his mouth. After a moment, she pulled the straw away.

 

“You are reading it correctly.” He said, his voice was noticeably smoother now that it was hydrated. Relaxing back into his bed, he sighed with exhaustion. “Mostly…” he whispered to himself.

 

“Good. Finally. We were starting to worry about you, Master Vos. We’ve had to give you a few blood transfusions.”

 

“Thank you. I’ll see what I can do about replacing what I’ve needed.” He lay there, eyes still bandaged, his body relaxing for the first time in weeks it seemed he was going to be swallowed up by the bed. 

 

The conversation continued until the medic tilted her head slightly- “Let’s remove the bandages from your eyes, shall we?” As her nimble fingers pulled the wrap off- he shielded his eyes as she turned off the light. This would be the first time they would be opened in weeks. Tobias knew before she even mentioned removing the wrap- what he would see. 

 

“Slowly open your eyes- pull your hand back.” Her voice was tinged with cautious optimism. 

 

As he opened his eyes- he was greeted with darkness. Pure darkness. He signed, she chimed in “What is it? July What do you see?” obviously sensing his change in mood. 

 

“Nothing…” Another sigh as his heart beat ramped up a little bit. “...and more nothing.”

 

~~~

 

Three days later some of his sight came back- but because of his mental remapping of his brain it wasn’t quite what regular eyesight was. It wasn’t a permanent fix- it was as if he was the operator of a holotrain switching the track routes over to a new route. The bundle of nerves were just routed differently now… looping that around. So now- how his vision was based on using the Force as a sort of echolocation. Another side effect was he could no longer use the Force in a usual Jedi manner. He knew another way though and when he awoke a few days later- there was his master. Not Slicer, Adenna, Kirlocca, or any of the ones he had in this realm. It was Rar’tausar. The squat little alien stood at the end of Tobias’s bed. He was so quiet that Tobias hadn’t known he was there at all. 

 

“Jedi Master Tobias Vos, good to see you again.” The alien waggled his tongues but no audible words- Tobias heard them inside his head. 

 

“Master Rar’Tauso, a pleasure as always. I’d say the same, but….” Tobias trailed off, gesturing to his face and the bandage wrapped around his eyes. 

 

The squat alien chuckled with the joke. That was something Tobias had always liked about the Aing-Tii. Or at least liked about Rar in particular. The rest of the species didn’t quite get sarcasm or jokes. So as the night went on- or so it seemed to Tobias from his internal clock the two chatted about their training lessons for awhile until Tobias mentioned he was about to fall asleep. The Aing-Tii rested on his haunches and closed his eyes as well. 

 

They continued their conversation inside Tobias’ dreamscapes. On and on they went about theories around The Force, the Celestials, and others. Then, as predicted, an awkward silence settled between the pair as their small talk was all done. Neither one sure of how to approach why Rar was here.

 

Inside the dreamscape, Tobias has his sight, therefor he was able to see Rar’s reaction when the topic came up. 

 

“You know why my body has been branded- you know why I’m in such pain and why it made sense to loop the nerves from something else other than the pain receptions- running like my vision.”

 

The alien nodded twice. 

 

“So, my viewpoint on this situation: I touched those crystals through the Force that Jedi and Sith lightly cover. I listened to them, unaware of the consequences. My body was too small of a conduit for that much power- and since the force runs through someone’s veins it followed my blood vessels and had an effect on them.”

 

Rar nodded twice, again.

 

“Anddd that’s all I got.” He shrugged, looking at his reflection in the pond below where the pair found themselves. An unsettling discovery- even his eyes were partially branded as well. 

 

“It is most curious you chose to give up your vision. Considering how many times you’ve been taken off guard by…” Rar must have realized what he was saying was incredibly rude and hurtful; he had stopped talking and let the sentence trail off. He covered for his slip by taking a rock and skipping it across the pond. 

 

“You know, I tried to explain how the Aing-Tii philosophy worked to an Imperial Knight.”

 

“That was painful to watch. While I know we, the Aing-Tii, are isolationists- the Imperial Knights are close minded.”

 

Frustration simmered behind Tobias’s eyes and Rar nodded- so he was under observation. 

 

“Yes, Jedi Master Tobias Vos, you are under surveillance. It was decreed by The Circle. I have releived the previous watcher for a few hours to talk to you, Jedi Master Tobias Vos. I have the latitude of being able to intervene with your medical problems.”

 

An eyebrow arched above Tobias’s eye. 

 

“You, Jedi Master Tobias Vos, have not released the Force through your brands- have you?”

 

Vos shook his head.

 

“Do so. Vision would return, and the pain may dissipate. But your Force footprint would increase dramatically. This would ruin your stealth talents- but you can switch back and forth. There is a deeper connection to the Force that you, Jedi Master Tobias Vos, have made. This comes at a cost- your physical body is suffering- and there needs to be something done to remedy the situation.”

 

Tobias sighed… “So, I can be stealthy at the cost of my vision, or I can announce to a whole planet that I have arrived.”

 

Rar remained silent.

 

Clearing his voice, he stood and sighed. “This new aura- I’m sure it will have consequences. Shall we return to the physical realm?”

 

And then he woke up- with a beautiful sunrise coming through the window. While he felt the sunlight on his face- he didn’t see it with his eyes. His hands steadied as he felt his body- looking for the restraints and IV tubes coming into his veins. After feeling for them all, he flexed his hands into fists and the tape holding the tubes in dissolved and the IVs pulled themselves out. Swinging his feet over the side of the bed, he stood- one hand still on the bed. 

 

Fresh determination fuel him- he coughed twice, but marched out of his room- the Jedi robes bundled under his arm. Down a few flights of stairs and out to the grass. It was a cool morning- but the sun was warm. Feeling a pull closer towards the forest, he made his way there and crouched into a meditative trance. Then, he let it all out. There was a rush of warmth to his eyes, still wrapped in a bandage. He felt immense power run out of his body as if he had been a boulder in a pond. The ripples he gave off in the Force wasn’t something to dismiss- this was… something else. 

 

Almost overwhelmed, Tobias was excited- cracking his one eye open- he discovered that the grass was black. Blinking more with both eyes- adjusting to the light- he saw what ‘letting the Force loose’ meant- there was a small scorch mark under him and there was evidence of a sort of wave that came out from him as many twigs and other debris were all patterned to support that theory. 

 

Standing, he tore off the medical gown and dressed in the traditional Jedi Robes. Oddly, he felt at home in these robes. More than previously- he knew that since being willing to sacrifice himself that he had settled down into this role, finally. 

 

Scratching his beard- he collected the medical garment and made his way back into the temple and up to the hospital wing. Rar had not returned with him, and he briefly thought of the alien. A warm breeze swirled around Tobias and he knew Rar was still with him. Smiling, he nodded and started back up to his room that he wouldn't have a need for now. Time to get back into the galaxy. Time to get back to Adenna.